Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Medallists’ Ceremony, Union Buildings, Tshwane

Programme Director, Deputy Minister Peace Mabe,
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKensie,
Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi,
President of SASCOC, Mr Barry Hendricks,
Minister, Deputy Ministers and MECs,
Olympians and Paralympians,
Distinguished Guests,
Fellow South Africans,

This is a moment of great pride for our nation.

It is a moment to express our gratitude to those who have represented our nation with such distinction on the world’s greatest stage.

Today, we are not just celebrating medals and the star athletes who won them. 

We are also celebrating the spirit of South Africa. 

We are celebrating the power of sport to unite us, to inspire us and to remind us of the strength we possess when we stand together as a nation. 

We are celebrating the extraordinary resilience of our athletes, their unwavering determination and their incredible talent.

We are celebrating the profound symbolism that sport holds in our society. 

In a country that has endured years of division and hardship, sport has been essential in forging a shared identity and a common nationhood.

Today, we reflect on South Africa’s Olympic and Paralympic journey.

That journey began with struggle, discrimination, exclusion and isolation.

Through the efforts of many great patriots that journey has become one of excellence, pride, achievement and social cohesion. 

South Africa’s participation in the Games has been about more than just sport.

It has been about the quest for equality, the fight for justice and the desire to represent the best of what we can be as a nation. 

We recall the years of discrimination and segregation in South African sport.

It was a time when so many of our athletes were denied the opportunity to compete as equals, either in South Africa or on the world stage.

It was a time when the people of South Africa were denied the opportunity to witness their country’s full sporting potential.

As the country embarked on its transition to democracy, as the world gathered in Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics, South Africa was ready to take its place among the world’s sporting nations once again.

For many, this was not just about winning medals. It was about reclaiming our place in the world. 

The return of South Africa to the Olympic Games was an important symbol of the country’s quest for freedom and its commitment to non-racialism and democracy.

In every Olympic Games since, our athletes have shown the world that South Africa is capable of producing world-class talent across a variety of sports.

And in every Paralympic Games, our athletes have not only demonstrated their athletic ability but have also challenged perceptions about disability. 

These athletes have proven that physical limitations are no match for the strength of the human spirit.

The success of our Paralympic athletes reminds us that greatness knows no boundaries. 

As we honour our Olympic and Paralympic champions, we must recognise the ongoing work that needs to be done to support athletes with disabilities. 

The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games saw remarkable performances from Team South Africa. 

We honour the medallists, Team SA and everyone who has played a role to make our country so proud.

Our Olympic team won 6 medals: 1 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze. 

Our Paralympic team also won 6 medals: 2 gold and 4 bronze.

Today, we are honouring these medallists with Recognition Awards.

We are also honouring the athletes that achieved the most outstanding performances at the Olympic and Paralympic Games with the presentation of the Shield of Jove. 

This prestigious award was donated to the South African government in 1948 by Frederick Mitchell-Hedges, a British archaeologist involved in mining in South Africa.

It is a symbol of excellence, perseverance and dedication to the pursuit of sporting greatness.

This year, we are proud to award the Shield of Jove to Tatjana Smith and Mpumelelo Mhlongo, in recognition of their exceptional achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

These remarkable achievements are the product of a collective commitment to building a sustainable sporting culture in South Africa. 

Our athletes have excelled because of the investments we’ve made in sports infrastructure, in grassroots development and in training systems. 

However, we must do more to ensure that the next generation of South African athletes has even greater opportunities to succeed.

We must continue to invest in youth development, ensuring that children in every part of our country – whether urban or rural – have access to sports programmes. 

This means strengthening our partnerships with local schools, community centres and clubs.

We must make sure that our youth are equipped with the skills, coaching and facilities they need to reach their full potential.

We must never forget that every medal won – every record broken – is a testament to the countless hours of training, sacrifice and dedication that our athletes put into their craft.

Today is a celebration not just of the medals our athletes have won, but of the spirit of South Africa. 

We are a nation forged in struggle, in adversity and in hope. 

To the Olympic and Paralympic champions with us here today, we say thank you.

To the teams of people – coaches, trainers, therapists, doctors, families, friends and many others – who carry stars onto the podium, we say thank you. 

We recognise with gratitude our corporate sponsors and the National Lotteries Commission who provided significant funding to SASCOC, enabling our athletes to participate and to excel.

We have come a long way since our country’s return to the Olympic Games in 1992.

We know that we are capable of much more. 

We are a nation that stands united, proud and ready for the challenges of the future. 

Together, we will continue to build a legacy of sporting excellence

A legacy that will inspire many generations to come.

I thank you.