Delivered by Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana
Northern Diocese, Ethiopian Episcopal Church
At the SACC, Khotso House, Johannesburg

A reading from Sirach 11: 1 - 5.

1. The wisdom of the humble lifts their heads high, and seats them among the great.
2. Do not praise individuals for their good looks, or loathe anyone because of appearance alone.
3. The bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things.
4. Do not boast about wearing fine clothes, and do not exalt yourself when you are honoured; for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works are concealed from humankind.
5. Many kings have had to sit on the ground, but one who was never thought of has worn a crown.

The Award Declaration:

At noon tomorrow, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will be handed the envelope that he must open, and in it will be the paper with the name of the country voted to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup competition. At about 12.02, with the eyes of millions of people all over the world fixed on his image on their television screens, and 44 million pairs of South African eyes, and 44 million hearts pounding in nail-biting anxiety, he will open the envelope and read out the name. If he says Afrique du Sud, this nation will rapture in the ecstasy of immeasurable joy; and if he says Morocco or Egypt, the country will implode into wailing and mourning.

The Presentation:

Ahead of that, at 17h00 this afternoon, South Africa's 2010 Bid Chief Executive Danny Jordaan will pilot his country's presentation for the second time in our short, eventful and celebrated 10 years of democracy. Partnering with Irvine Khoza and with Molefe Olifant in his presence, Jordaan will speak of a South Africa so young that its very first international caps have yet to fully retire from the game. In the prayerful presence of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, the special envoy from God via Khotso House; and Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, daring the FIFA executive to look down on the youth of this nation - a young nation matured by the scars of its past, and buoyed by the hopes and aspirations of its young people, will sit defiantly, representing South Africa's most venerable political ancestry. With modesty of manner and humility of stature, Danny Jordaan will stand to speak for this young nation; and this morning Sirach says to us: "The wisdom of the humble lifts their heads high, and seats them among the great".

Yes, this will be the second time, counting the painful Charles Dempsey tackle that wrought our defeat by Germany at the 2006 vote. But this time Jordaan's presentation will feature a brief and characteristically punchy message of final advocacy from President Thabo Mbeki - the man from South Africa, the man from Africa, the man for Africa in Africa and for Africa in the Diaspora that includes the Americas; and when President Mbeki opens his mouth - this pioneering chair of the African Union, this architect of NEPAD, it will be like he is for the umpteenth time, telling the world "I am an African" - staking the claim, no, staking the right, for young and sweet South Africa to take Africa's first opportunity, as Sirach says this morning: "the bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things". Is the FIFA executive listening?

What should we do?

Friends, we are not here out of fear for our case, but we are here to make time to thank God for this country and what it has been able to achieve through the immeasurable grace of God in our short decade of democracy, and in the words of St Paul "according to the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us" (Ephesians 1: 7b - 8a).

I will not talk about the strength of our institutions that were virtually crafted ex nihilo; I will not talk about our heroes of justice whose blood, sweat and tears have watered our tree of freedom and democracy; I will not talk about the sustaining faith of generations of the bare-footed poor, who have and continue to congregate in funny-looking window-less and wintry churches on bare hills and damp squatter camps. I will not talk this morning about these worthy building blocks of our current glorious moment on the eve of being awarded the hosting rights of the most prestigious event of the world. Instead I suggest we do two things this morning. On behalf of all people of faith in this country, let us thank God in celebration; and pray for good stewardship of the lucrative opportunities that the success of our bid will bring. For again as St. Paul notes, "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him!" (1 Corinthians 2: 9). We are here today to declare our love for God, and appreciate what God has already given us!

Bless the Lord O my soul
And all that is within me
Bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord O my soul
And do not forget all his benefits -
Who forgives all your iniquity,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the Pit,
Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Who satisfies you with good as long as you live,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed! (Psalm 103: 1 - 6)

Thank God and Celebrate Unity:

Yes, let us thank God and celebrate the manner in which this bid has united this country. As St. Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). Let us rejoice and celebrate before God, that the country stands like one person, and that the goodwill that bound us together with the rugby world cup of 1995 has been rekindled, at a time when South Africans have just responded resoundingly to the ANC election campaign that said Sekunjalo! Ke nako! Now is the time! Now is the time for us to be serious about fighting poverty, and for all of us to come to terms with our responsibility and pledge to make a difference in the lives of others. The bid that unites us is also a goose that will lay the golden egg; however, this golden egg's lustre will fade quickly if the greed and corruption that has tended to plague our society is allowed to lift its ugly head. To begin with, President Mbeki has said South Africa shall be clean as we win this bid. Everything has been done to secure honest votes. If in order to be awarded what our people have worked hard to earn, we have to bribe anyone or buy votes, then we will be a better nation and a healthier society without the World Cup. Let us lose with dignity.

The Cancer of Corruption:

This brings me to the second thing I call on us to do today: to pray for good stewardship of the opportunities that the success of our bid will bring. Billions of dollars will be realized and hundreds of thousands of real jobs will be created. If we do not conduct ourselves honourably with this windfall we will hang our heads in shame in the eyes of all Africa and in the eyes of the world.

• This bid is for the poor of our society;
• This bid is for the young entrepreneurs of our people;
• This bid is for the forgotten parts of the country;
• This bid is to bring revenue to meet government mandates to eradicate poverty, roll back the advance of HIV/AIDS, and create a bright future for the least of our society.

The award of the 2010 World Cup hosting, six years in advance, will be a vote of confidence that we will, in six years' time be as reliable in our positive performance as an African nation. Yet, corruption will erode and negate the moral power of that vote of confidence. Let us pray for uprightness and a strong culture of public ethics; let us pray for a social watchdog movement that will defend our opportunity with a robust street committee based mpimpa practice from township to township, from village to village, from hill to hill, from suburb to suburb; in every government office and every board room across the land. Let Ngcuka's teams of Scorpions flourish in our midst.

We are all Africans:

The award of the world cup hosting rights is an affirmation of how well we have done so far as a united and free people, and as a trusted player and champion of African renewal. Indeed this bid is also based on our commitment to share opportunities with neighbours in the SADC region. This bid is an African opportunity, and it is sure to draw more and more citizens of the African continent to South Africa to seek a living whose chances will be enhanced by the bid. This must impel us to see non-South African Africans with fresh eyes of loving and accommodating siblings. In his first letter St John writes, "Those who say 'I love God', and hate their brothers and sisters (who are non-South Africans), are liars, for those who do not love a brother or a sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen" (1 John 4: 20).

Our history in Africa is shared in common,
Our fortunes are inextricably intertwined and
Our destiny is in a common rendezvous of hope
We are all Africans!

Inclusive Victory:

Finally, I asked Danny Jordaan what his message for us would be today. He said, Egypt and Morocco are African countries that deserve this opportunity like we do. We shall win it because they will have lost. Therefore we should celebrate but not gloat. Sirach says to us this morning: "Do not exalt yourself when you are honoured; for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works are concealed from humankind".

Let us make our winning tomorrow a moment of joy that is acceptable to our competitors.

Let our victory tomorrow be readily embraced as the victory of Africa that includes the Diaspora in the Americas.

Let our victory tomorrow be truly the victory of the whole continent of Africa, for in reality, 2010 belongs to Africa - all of Africa from Cape to Cairo, from Asmara to Ilha do Sul.

Let our victory tomorrow be the blessing of Africa.

God bless Africa,
Guard her children
Guide her leaders
And give her peace
For Jesus Christ's sake
Amen