As
South Africa celebrates AFCON Week, religious leaders will gather in Tshwane
and Rustenburg on Wednesday and Thursday to pray for a seamless and high
quality 29th Edition of the Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by South Africa
from 19 January to 10 February in 2013.
The
Freedom Park event will kick start activities at Isivivane with an Inter-Faith
Ceremony that will include the Chief Executive Officer of the AFCON Local
Organising Committee, Mvuzo Mbebe and Members of the Board and the
Representatives of the Embassies for the Participating Member Associations.
This Wednesday event, which begins at 4am, is an event that is inclusive of all
of South Africa’s religious denominations.
At
the end of the Tshwane event a delegation made of LOC’s Mvuzo Mbebe, the LOC
Board will leave for Hammanskraal where they will present the student of
Dikgorwaneng Primary and the school with awards for the winning Tournament
Mascot, Takuma.
The
LOC CEO, Mr Mvuzo Mbebe said: “Former President Nelson Mandela said in 1999 –
“the day should not be far off, when we shall have a people’s shrine, a freedom
park, where we shall honour with all the dignity they deserve, those who
endured pain so we should experience the joy of freedom.”Also, as the LOC, we
felt it deserving that we need to gather at this symbol of cultural and religious
freedoms so as to reach out to the Omnipotent One for divine intervention and
blessings as we prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in January
next year.
As
Africans, united in diversity, we reach out to God in more ways than one and we
need to recognize the importance of African spirituality expressed in its
various formations. Therefore, the gathering at Freedom Park is intended to
bring together all the elements of African spirituality so as to seek blessings
for a successful soccer tournament”.
On
Thursday, November 8, Rustenburg will have a Flag Raising Ceremony of the Teams
that will play their Group Matches at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, and also host
an Inter-Faith event, which is scheduled for 10am where LOC’s Mbebe and the
Dean of Embassies will join Religious Leaders and other important guests in the
event of the day.
On
Friday, November 9 all Host Cities will have their respective Flag Raising
ceremonies of the Teams that will be playing their Group Matches in their
cities, while some will also activate the Magnificent Friday programme in which
the whole nation is urged to wear their football jerseys every week on this
day.
On
Saturday, November 10, all roads lead to Polokwane where the soccer fans will
be treated to what is expected to be an exciting international game between the
South African Legends (Class of 1996) and German Legends at Peter Mokaba
Stadium.
On
Sunday, November 11, the whole country is being asked to make special prayers
for the LOC to host a successful AFCON 2013 Tournament.
