South Africa impressed about Tamale Venue

Tamale, Jan. 31, GNA - The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Rapu Molekane has said that contrary to reports that South Africa was not happy to be at the Tamale venue for the Ghana 2008, the Bafana Bafana are highly elated to the reception accorded and to have been hosted in the Metropolis.

He said earlier impressions that South Africans were not happy with the Tamale venue were rumours since they had always been ready to accept to stay at any venue they were sent too.

M. Molekane said this when he donated a quantity of footballs and other sports items on behalf of the Bafana Bafana to 20 selected basic schools in the Tamale Metropolis on Thursday.

The items included blowing horns, flippers, South African miniature flags and guidebooks on South Africa's hosting of 2010 World Cup.

The High Commissioner said the facilities and training pitches at the Tamale venue were very good and above all the friendliness and hospitality of the people were infectious. He said the atmosphere in Tamale was also peaceful and serene as compared to the hustle and bustle and the traffic jams of Accra and other cities' lifestyles.

He said the Tamale Venue also gave the team and their supporters the opportunity to visit tourist sites such as the Paga crocodile pond in the Upper East Region and the Mole National Park at Damongo in the Northern Region.

Mr Molekane said some of the South Africans who visited the Paga crocodile pond were so impressed that they had planned to return to visit the area with their families.

The High Commissioner said the hosting of the World Cup by South Africa in 2010 was an African affair with his country only serving as the theatre of events and, therefore, appealed to African countries to participate actively in its planning to make the event a success. Mr Mohammed Baba, the Tamale Metropolitan Coordinating Director, said the presentation of the soccer items to the schools was a rare event and would encourage the development of sports in the Metropolis. He thanked the High Commissioner and the Bafana Bafana for their kind gesture and expressed the hope that it would further strengthen the friendly bonds of relations between South Africa and Ghana.