Flanked by the Team SA Chef de Mission, Patience Shikwambana, Mbalula officiated the singing of the national anthem and the raising of the flag.
Shikwambana then led the minister to Tuscan House, where South African Olympians are based, to inspect the medical facilities, the living environment and the safety and health of the athletes.
"I am quite satisfied with the quality of living [conditions] for our athletes and hopefully with the motivation they received from Ernie Els [who won the British Open], Hashim Amla [who made history by making 311 runs], Graeme Smith [with 100 career Test Series'] and the Proteas win on British soil will inject some dose of 'podium finish'," said Mbalula.
The minister spent time at the Olympic Village telling athletes how Ernie Els had "come from afar to give a clinical finish at the British Open".
He also told them about the performance of the Proteas Team at the Kia Oval, London. The athletes were happy with the results of their countrymen in other sporting codes, namely, golf and cricket.
The 2012 London Olympics are scheduled to kick off on Friday, while the Paralympics will get underway on 29 August until 9 September.
