GREETINGS!

On 22 April, millions of South Africans went to the polls to cast their votes in the national and provincial elections. The elections will lead to the establishment of the fourth democratically elected government - a sign that our democracy is growing. With the elections over, the new government administration continues the task of fulfilling the promises made to the voters.

As a country, a lot has been achieved during the past 15 years. However, a lot still has to be done.

In a month's time, our country will be hosting the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The hosting of the Confederations Cup, in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is yet another acknowledgement by the international community of our country's ability to host major world events. It has also given us confidence in ourselves to take on challenges, no matter how big.

Hosting these FIFA events brings many benefits to our people. They include the building of stadiums and improvements to our roads. It has led to many people getting jobs and new skills. In addition, the Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup will also leave a lasting legacy for us. This includes promoting soccer and developing young soccer players.

South Africans are known the world over as friendly people. Let us give a warm and friendly welcome to the thousands of soccer fans and tourists who will visit our beautiful country.

Let us show the soccer family that the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup will be the best ever FIFA tournaments. Let us buy our tickets for these exciting events and show our support to all the participating teams.

These are the first major FIFA events to be held in Africa. Let us go out there and share our African ubuntu with the rest of the world so that they can experience African hospitality at its best.

The Editor