M B O M B E L A – With a few days to go before the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation will use Afrika Day celebration to call on Africans to embrace the football tournament.

When South Africa won the rights to host the 2010 World Cup, it made it clear that the tournament would be a continental event. Mbombela Host City, which will host four firstround matches at the Mbombela Stadium, has pulled all the stops to ensure that neighbouring countries in the region benefit from the tournament.

Mpumalanga’s close proximity to Swaziland and Mozambique makes the football spectacle a truly African event.

The Afrika Day Celebration, which takes place on Tuesday, 25 May 2010 at Matsulu Stadium, will be marked under the theme, “Promoting 2010 through Cultural Diversity.”

Departmental spokesperson, Ms Sibongile Nkosi says of the celebration, “Mpumalanga will celebrate this important day by showcasing the rich cultural heritage and diversity that exists in South African Development Community (SADC) through song and dance. Another highlight will be a roadshow to promote the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Matsulu.”

Afrika Day celebrates the day when the Organization of African Unity was formed in 1963 and also acknowledges the progress that Africans have made in the global community. One of the biggest achievements to come out of the continent was when South Africa won the rights to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“Afrika Day also promotes reconciliation, socialcohesion, nation-building and cultural diversity,” adds Nkosi.

The celebration at Matsulu Stadium will provide Africans particularly in the SADC region with a platform to work together to de- liver a successful tour- nament that will once again show that the continent is capable of greatness.

For more information contact Ms S i b o n g i l e Nkosi on 082 492 4886 or 013 766 5372.