Let's ask new questions about 2010

Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 08 September 2009

On Friday, 04 September, I attended the launch of the “Football Fridays” campaign at the South African Football Association (SAFA) House, south of Johannesburg – and it finally dawned on me that this world cup thing is actually coming our way.

The aim of the “Football Fridays” campaign is to encourage South Africans to wear football jerseys on Fridays and to learn the national anthem, fly the South African flag with pride and celebrate our country’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Just being around the Soccer City area inspires confidence, particularly when you see the tremendous work done on the stadium and the broader precinct. The question is no longer whether or not we’ll be ready to host the event, but what kind of hosts we’ll be.

At the event, the CEO of the Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordan, spoke about the world cup as one of the several defining moments in the making of South Africa; others being the release from prison of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the first democratic general elections in 1994 and the rugby world cup in 1995.

The passion amongst the men and women working on South Africa’s preparations for the world cup, from the top executives to the men and women picking up pieces of litter around the stadiums, makes you proud to be a South African.

I know jealous people around the world, including those who originate from this country, continue to spread false rumours about our country; but those of us who live here know this country better. And some of these rumour-mongers cannot even point South Africa on the world map. I feel sorry for them.

We’re going to make history in 2010.

And, already, we are told that the Local Organising Committee has received applications from over 70 000 people from across the world who want to work as volunteers during the world cup. This is most certainly a resounding vote of confidence in South Africa.

We’re going to do this thing so well that the South African expatriate in London – or Moscow, or New York, or Montreal – wants to get on to the next available flight to Johannesburg, if only to be closer to the rhythm because, by then, all tickets would have sold out.

I know the national soccer team is not doing well on its preparations for the world cup, having recently suffered a 2-0 defeat over the weekend at the hands of Germany. But next year when we talk about the team, we’ll be talking about the broader South African citizenry and not just the 11 men on the soccer pitch.

Now that questions about our state of readiness have effectively become irrelevant, we must start debating a new question: how will the world look at us after the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Will they still look at us in the same way that they look at us now? What kind of picture will they have of South Africa?

NB: An edited version of this article was published on the City Press website under the headline, "Sekunjalo, SA's more than ready". See the article on this link: http://www.citypress.co.za/Content/MyCityPress/YourStory/2164/ef11554058704855b7478fa49c607b28/06-09-2009-12-15/Sekunjalo,_SA%E2%80%99s_more_than_ready