Have a blast, but don't be blind

01 May 2010 - 18:46

By Sunday Times Editorial

The World Cup is without doubt one of the greatest events yet in the brief history of democratic South Africa. It is both practically significant - in terms of the revenue it will generate - and symbolically rich. It represents, in a way, a homecoming, a final confirmation - if confirmation were needed - that South Africa's status is assured in the fellowship of nations.

There is trust involved, too. Fifa, and the 24 individuals who sit on Fifa's executive committee, placed their trust in South Africa to deliver the event when Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, pulled South Africa's name out of the white envelope on that happy day in Zurich six years ago.

So far, we haven't disappointed. The stadiums, despite spikes in budget, have been built on time. Transport infrastructure has been improved (just last week a new terminal was opened at OR Tambo International Airport) and an array of secondary and practice facilities have either been upgraded or built from scratch. Football facilities have never been better. All we need now is for Bafana Bafana, our perennially under-achieving national team, to start playing in a way which is commensurate with the splendour of the stadiums.

Over and above the symbolism and trust and fun that will undoubtedly happen throughout the tournament, we shouldn't be blind to some of the more shady aspects of the World Cup. There will be some great football, sure, but behind each memorable quarter-final will be a stadium and behind that stadium lurks a possible tender irregularity. There are enough stories doing the rounds about skulduggery and commercial opportunism for us to take much in the World Cup with a pinch of salt. Whether the men in fashionable attire buy their suits in Fordsburg or a chic little outfitter in Zurich, it is safe to assume that the real beneficiaries of the World Cup will be the multinationals and the men who sit on leather-padded chairs behind closed doors. The real motto of the tournament should be: "Have fun, but don't be blind."

There is, of course, another World Cup. This is the World Cup of ordinary people, the fans and their dreams. It's a neat corrective to the other World Cup, a tournament that will be all about learning the steps of the Diski dance, of putting a South African flag on your car mirror, of decorating - as the Sunday Times has done - your office with miniature flags of all 32 competing nations.

An aside: can you tell your Uruguay flag from the flag of North Korea? Is Ghana's flag too similar to Cameroon's for you to be completely confident in distinguishing the one from the other? Perhaps you should beef up on your World Cup flags.

This World Cup will be one of friendship, good memories (we don't want to sound too much like a Castle lager advert) and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to say that you saw the national team if you were lucky. Perhaps you were lucky enough to watch some of the greatest players in the world in Kaka, Lionel Messi, the flying Dutch, the dazzling Ivorians, the pragmatic Italians, the splendid Spanish. But beware. This will all come at a price, because taxpayers are likely to be paying for the World Cup stadiums for some time to come. Hopefully they will at least be playing for functioning stadiums and not white elephants.

Have fun, enjoy yourself, but don't be blind.