Kimberley – Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul has lauded the benefits from sports tourism in the wake of South Africa’s amateur boxing’s cream de la crème having descended on the Northern Cape’s capital city of Kimberley. Dr Saul extended his appreciation on the final day of the Elite and Youth National Boxing Championships staged by the South African National Boxing Organisation (SANABO) at the diamond city’s Jim Summers Hall from past Wednesday to Saturday, 6 July.
“The increase in hosting of sporting events in the Northern Cape and Kimberley specifically, encourages increased visitor arrivals, both domestic and international to the province. Sporting events sees friends and relatives accompanying the sporting participants to the event and stays are extended in some instances, resulting in more spent and bed nights for the industry.”
Last month, the province hosted the South African Open Chess Championships and South African Schools Individual Chess Championships. And, over the last two-weeks and on a non-sporting front, over 300 tourism teachers gathered in Kimberley for the National Tourism Education Conference, followed by hordes of archeologists that met for the biennial conference of the Association of Southern African Professional Archeologists (ASAPA).
“The recent hosting of a spate of high-profile events, is demonstrating the capability and ability of the Northern Cape to successfully host national and international events. We invite the events, meetings and conference organisers to bring more of their events to the Northern Cape and help us to create opportunities for young sports women and men. This will further help build our tourism industry, create jobs and contribute to the economy of the Northern Cape,” asserted Dr Saul
SANABO, a body funded by the all-important South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), endorsed the Northern Cape’s organising of the championships.
“Indeed, this was a great championship. We are thankful to NCOBO. We are thankful to Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, to the Premier for supporting us and last but not least, the Northern Cape Tourism Authority. We thank you for your hospitality. We have had a great time in the Northern Cape,” enthused SANABO President Andile Mofu.
The President of the local association, Northern Cape Open Boxing Organisation (NCOBO) which is an affiliate of SANABO, Raymond Mothobi said his structure is proud to have hosted the first-ever combined youth and elite championships.
“We used two rings for the youth and elite open boxing championships which bears historic significance as the two groups events were held separately in the past. Even though we had a few challenges, we managed to overcome them. We are grateful in that our partners in the Northern Cape Tourism Authority, Northern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Premier’s Office and Sol Plaatje Municipality helped us financially and with logistics,” beamed Mothobi. The event was also attended by Sol Plaatje’s Executive Mayor Patrick Mabilo and MEC of Sports, Arts and Culture Bernice Sinxeve.
By Thabo Mothibi
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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).
One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.
As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.
Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.
Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..
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