16 January 2009

By Sipho None

THE visit to Switzerland in 2008 by Mogale City Executive Mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane and his entourage to promote Mogale City and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ has paid dividends.

A couple from the Swiss city of Lugano, visiting South Africa, made a courtesy visit to Mogale City recently. According to Fozie Patel, the executive mayor’s personal assistant, the mayor’s entourage met the couple at one of the several exhibitions at which Mogale City was promoted.

“We met this wonderful couple at the exhibition and [spoke] to them about our city,” Patel said. “They showed an interest in visiting our city. The executive mayor is [pleased with their visit], and this shows that our trip to Switzerland is now paying dividends.”

In a two-hour meeting with Seerane, the couple, Stefano Luca Dedola and his wife, Viktoria, said they were impressed by the reception they had received from the people of Mogale.

“We were thrilled by the kind of reception we got from the people of Mogale City, and this is different from the tourists in Europe,” said Stefano Dedola.

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“The tourist stations in Europe have a tendency to create a bad image about Africa, and what we have seen is totally different from they said about Africa, particularly South Africa.”

They used the internet to get better information about Africa.

“We have visited several places, such Mogale Lodge, Maropeng Interpretation Centre and have gone past Azaadville. The scenery is wonderful and the people are very excellent and the food is superb,” said Viktoria Dedola.

Seerane spoke out against the wrong impressions that were created about Africa and South Africa. “South Africa is a country in transition,” he said, “and the impression that has been created about African people in loincloths is very wrong. You have seen it yourselves and I hope this serves to prove the notion wrong.”

Mogale City was a nice place to invest and live in. Seerane urged Stefano Dedola, who is the head of communications in a Swiss bank, to settle in Mogale City.

“I’m happy that you have decided to visit our city and have enjoyed your stay. Our city is a very nice place to live in and invest. I hope that in your quest for a holiday home you will give Mogale City the first option.”