President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared December 15th 2023 as a public holiday in celebration of the victorious Springboks who made history by winning the coveted Web Ellis trophy for the fourth time in Paris on Saturday October 28th.
The Boks, who are expected back in the country on Tuesday, narrowly beat New Zealand’s All Black 12-11 in the tournament.
In an address to the nation on Monday October 30th, the president said that the victory of the Springboks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup “rightfully calls for a moment to celebrate”.
“In celebration of the Springboks’ momentous achievement and the achievements of all our other sports men 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. Our sports men and women have shown us what is possible. We will succeed and we will ensure that we leave no one behind,” President Ramaphosa said.
However, while many expected the public holiday to take place sooner, the president said the date should be pushed back to give the matriculants space to focus on their exams.
Notably, December 16th is already a public holiday in South Africa for the Day of Reconciliation – but in 2023, it falls on a Saturday.
When public holidays land on a Sunday, the day is moved to the following Monday. If it falls on a Saturday, it is not given a replacement day.
In the case of the new public holiday on the 15th, it would be a case of South Africans getting the “missed” day off on the 16th.
