President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared Friday, December 15 a special public holiday in honour of South Africa’s national rugby team.
The Springboks won the World Cup on Saturday, becoming the first country to lift the Webb Ellis trophy four times, also making the current squad the first to win the cup back-to-back.
Prior to the win, Ramaphosa had promised the nation a public holiday to celebrate the victory. At the time, the president said he would consider declaring October 29 a public holiday.
A promise never fulfilled
The Springboks won the final, but the president kept quiet, keeping the nation speculating about his promise for a special public holiday to celebrate the Boks’ hard-fought victory.
Many longed for a long weekend. Had the president declared Sunday a public holiday, it would have been observed on Monday.
However, Ramaphosa withheld his decision until Monday evening, announcing that the holiday will be observed at a later stage to allow thousands of matriculants to complete their National Senior Certificate examinations.
The president acknowledged that over 900 000 candidates sat for their first paper on Monday, marking the beginning of a crucial period in their academics.
“I know that many of us want us to have a holiday to celebrate, but we should all agree that we should give our matriculants time to focus on their exams and celebrate afterwards,” Ramaphosa said.
“In celebration of the Springboks’ momentous achievement and the achievements of all our other sportsmen and women – and as a tribute to the resolve of our united nation – I am declaring Friday the 15th of December 2023 as a public holiday.
“We declare this to be a day of hope, a day of celebration and unity.”
Mzansi unites behind the Bokke
The rugby World Cup has seen the country uniting and supporting the national team from the beginning to the end.
Ramaphosa urged South Africans to also support the national cricket team, the Proteas who are also participating in their respective World Cup tournament in India.
The president said he will be travelling to Mumbai for the Cricket World Cup final, just as he did when the Springboks played in the final against the All Blacks at the Stade de France on Saturday evening.
“I want us to now rally behind the Proteas in the same way as we have given our support to the Springboks.
“I want us all to embark on a period of celebration culminating in a celebratory holiday after our matriculants have finished their exams and the Proteas have done the country proud at the Cricket World Cup,” the president said.
