2010: Real benefits off the field
Brad Morgan
17 May 2004
The World Cup is coming to South Africa! With all due respect to rugby and cricket, this World Cup is the biggest event by some margin that the Rainbow Nation has yet been accorded the honour of hosting. It is a massive sporting success.
But off the field, for South Africans, the success should be far greater, far more important, and lasting.
The sporting spectacle of the World Cup is arguably matched only by the Olympic Games. Together with the Olympics, it is a sports competition contested on a stage bigger than any other.
It is what the 2010 World Cup could mean to the average South African, however, that is most important for the country's young democracy.
Creating opportunities
It has been 10 years since the huge step was taken to allow all people of South Africa a meaningful say in the manner in which the country is governed.
In those 10 years tremendous progress has been made, but more
time is needed to balance the opportunities on offer for all; one decade is not enough time to overcome the inequalities of South Africa's past.
Now, though, the financial impact and possibilities the 2010 World Cup offers creates an opportunity to speed up the process that will truly allow all South Africans an equal opportunity to excel with hard work.
Tourism, which enjoyed a 4.2 percent increase in 2003, is the one sector that is set to benefit above all others.
Looked at from a different angle, the World Cup is expected to create 159 000 new jobs. This is a tremendous boost to the country, as unemployment remains one of its biggest problems.
Ensuring that South Africa is ready for the biggest show on earth means its infrastructure needs to be improved. That will be of lasting benefit to all South Africans. Not only will that work remain in place after the World Cup, but it also means a windfall for local construction companies, who will build what is
necessary for a successful tournament.
Tourism set to soar
As many as three-million tourists are expected during the World Cup. That's 40 percent more than the average annual number of tourists. The potential bonus from the huge exposure this will provide for the country is massive.
So, while some people would argue that funds being used for the World Cup should rather be used on education, for example, it is clear that the spin-offs from the tournament will, ultimately, justify the money spent on it.
One thing I believe the South African Football Association needs to get right soon, way in advance of the 2010 finals, is that the national team, Bafana Bafana should be a settled, confident and powerful unit by the time the tournament rolls around.
As hosts, South Africa qualifies automatically for the tournament, but it is not enough that the country plays in the World Cup alone. The national soccer side needs to do well.
South Africans will remember with a smile the euphoria that a Rugby World Cup victory in 1995 brought to the country. The feeling of unity that it produced wiped away any doubts that might have lingered about the new democracy as all South Africans got behind the national team.
No longer were the Springboks the team of the white minority. They were the team of all South Africans. And so it needs to be with Bafana Bafana.
The excitement their on field exploits generates needs to draw in fans who might otherwise have been apathetic. Nation United FC, the name of South Africa's 2010 bid presentation, would be an appropriate goal for the country when the tournament finally rolls around.
Highly competitive
I am not suggesting that South Africa needs to win the World Cup because, frankly, it is a far tougher ask to win soccer's biggest tournament than cricket's or rugby's biggest event. All the finalists are top-class competitive
teams.
The same cannot be said of the Rugby World Cup or the Cricket World Cup, where the potential list of winners is somewhat limited.
South Korea fared brilliantly when they co-hosted the World Cup in 2002, reaching the semi-finals. That fantastic showing brought the country to a standstill. It boosted the morale of the South Korean nation and knitted a great togetherness borne on a wave of national pride.
Sport has in the 10 years since democracy shown itself arguably capable of being the strongest unifying factor in South Africa. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was followed by a title winning performance by Bafana Bafana in the 1996 African Cup of Nations, and those memories too remain warm ones in the heart of South Africans.
A good performance from South Africa is vital, far beyond what the scores on the field might mean.
Nelson Mandela
Finally, I must comment on something that I am sure affected me in much the same
way as many other South Africans. The greatest joy I felt when the country was awarded the 2010 World Cup came not when the announcement was made, but when I saw the tears in the eyes of former President Nelson Mandela.
His unbridled joy tugged at my heart's strings. I am sure his presence in Zurich helped South Africa's bid immeasurably; I do not believe there is a more respected man on the face of this earth.
That he made the journey to Zurich, even though he is not in the best of health, meant a lot to me. I am certain it meant a lot to my fellow countrymen, and I am sure that in 2010 we will again view the wonderful images of Madiba hoisting the World Cup aloft, as if South Africa had actually won it, with tremendous joy and pride.
To the 2010 Bid Committee, especially to Danny Jordaan, who drove it for seven long years: Congratulations! You have done South Africa proud.
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