The Times Editorial: While the World Cup train speeds to the competition's June 11 opening, life must go on for the rest of South Africa. It truly does appear to be a case of two parallel universes playing out in one country.
Each day, it seems, the world and the international body of soccer fans who will descend on South Africa are being reassured that nothing disastrous will happen here.
National police chief Bheki Cele has gone out of his way to assure visitors that no harm will befall them from the moment they arrive here until they go home. Soccer hooligans will be dealt with and foreign threats will not derail teams like the US from playing.
Local organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan has repeatedly stood before the media to calm fears about preparedness and ticket sales.
Everything, it seems, is just brilliant with Fifa, the organising committee and those in the country who are waiting to welcome the world in less than a month.
But, for the rest of South Africa, most of which is unable to afford a ticket to one of the games, life must go on with all its attendant problems, such as lack of service delivery and living with violent crime.
The notion of parallel universes was brought home with particular grimness on Monday when details emerged about the murder of AWB leader Eugene Terre Blanche. Given at the bail hearing of one of the murder accused, the details are horrifyingly brutal: 28 wounds, his body smashed with a panga and an iron rod.
Yesterday, Protea, near Soweto, erupted when angry residents demanded better housing and ended up stoning police officers.
Perhaps, once the World Cup is over, when the fans have gone and the world has forgotten us again, our government and politicians will pay attention to us.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.