The FIFA World Cup tournament is underway next door in South Africa. Indications are South Africa will stage a successful if not the best tournament ever in the history of the soccer spectacle that is the World Cup. This will be so because South Africa prepared well for the tournament.
South Africa invested a lot of money on the infrastructure needed to host a soccer world cup tournament.
South Africans worked hard to convince the world that they were best suited and ready to host the world cup tournament. The South African government supported the Local Organizing Committee that was set up to put together all that was required to host a successful tournament.
The Committee got support from politicians across the political divide. When it came to supporting the hosting of the world cup, South African politicians put aside their political differences.
Sanity prevailed in their deliberations and it was clear they had the interest of the nation at heart. They never for once allowed their political differences to cloud their much needed support for the organizing committee. They left no stone unturned in their quest to be the first African country to host the world cup tournament.
Whether they bribed FIFA President Sepp Blatter for his unwavering support over their candidature is neither here nor there because they have not stopped any African country to ‘buy’ support from FIFA.
My point really is South Africans have worked hard to bring the world cup to their country.
South Africa has invested a lot on the World Cup tournament. South Africa has doled out lots of money to host the World Cup.
Not a single African country assisted South Africa in their bid to host the World Cup tournament. Not a single African country assisted South Africa in the build up to the tournament.
This is why I’m surprised that now African countries are crying foul when South Africa reaps the rewards of their sweat and toil. I just don’t understand African countries. If there’s one country that is well organized and has its priorities right, it is South Africa.
Clearly when they coined the catch phrase, “South Africa: It is possible”, they really meant it and they are showing the world that their slogan is not just an empty make believe, unlike the one for my country, which honestly I still have difficulties putting together.
Like I said, African countries left South Africa on its own to tirelessly work alone for the world cup and as such, I don’t see why South Africa should now extend some economic benefits to other African countries. South Africa cooked the tournament alone and they should be left to eat ÔÇô alone – what they have been cooking in the last four or so years while other African countries saw no need to be part of the tournament in the first place.
I listened to President Jacob Zuma when he officially opened the tournament. He said this was an African tournament. Well, he had to say that for the sake of the so-called diplomacy but the truth, which I have no doubt president Zuma knows, is that this is a South African tournament. South Africans should not be ashamed to claim this tournament for it is theirs.
They have earned it.
I could not believe it when cabinet ministers hear blamed South Africa for Botswana’s failure to reap any benefits out of the world cup tournament.
The minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Hon Kitso Mokaila is reported in the media as having accused South Africa for turning what was supposed to be an African tournament into an exclusively South African event.
Come on now, Botswana has never been part or even parcel of this tournament, save to agree that South Africans have successfully managed to portray Botswana as just another province of south Africa. I don’t blame South Africans for packaging us in the same bag as their Bloemfontein, Soweto and Rustenburg.
Another cabinet minister was on radio and at pains to explain exactly what went wrong on the side of the government to lure world cup teams to warm up in our country. The blame is now being shifted to FIFA which announced in the eleventh hour that no team will be allowed to lodge outside South Africa in the duration of the tournament.
I want to believe FIFA took this decision at the request or even order from South African authorities. South Africa has the right to insist on all teams being accommodated in their country because they have invested a lot on accommodation and security for the visiting teams.
It, therefore, does not make sense that some teams would have been allowed to camp outside South Africa when top class accommodation is in abundance right next to the magnificent stadia built by South Africa for the tournament.
I still maintain that other African countries, more specifically my cursed country Botswana will not reap anything for the soccer spectacle next door not because South Africa or FIFA blocked our chances but solely because our leaders have their priorities in disorder.
It would have taken just a cup of coffee between President Ian Khama and President Jacob Zuma to cement a concrete working relationship between the two countries in the build up to the tournament. Minister Shaw Kgathi should have applied the best bootlicking tactics to his South African counterpart and trust me South Africa would have made sure Botswana benefits from their tournament.
It is a shame that our leaders failed to organize themselves to position their country for the huge benefits that come with the world cup tournament. Come to think of it, even prostitutes and thieves seem to be more organized and well positioned than our leaders here. Thieves and ladies of the night are making a killing out of the world cup tournament while our leaders are crying foul.
The government set up a task force that was supposed to work on the ways that our country could benefit from this tournament. As it is, it would appear they always convened and indulged in biscuits and sandwiches as they have nothing to show of their meetings. As individual Batswana we have to thank South Africa for offering many of us a once in a life time opportunity to experience the world cup tournament.
Two of our youthful legislators, Hon Botsalo Ntuane and Hon Dumelang Saleshando are currently in South Africa in their personal capacities and are experiencing the wonders of hosting the world’s biggest event. These are youthful MP’s who are well versed with matters such as the world cup tournament.
These are the brains our country should have utilized to gain something from this big event but unfortunately in Botswana, great minds are seen as pain in the wrong place by the leadership. In our country you stand a better chance to make it into decision-making positions like cabinet minister when you are a bootlicker than when you have right skills for the position. I would not be surprised to learn a majority of our cabinet ministers have gone to their cattle posts and could not be bothered by what is taking place next door.
These are the same people who gave the Botswana football association BFA the middle finger when they harbored the ambitions to host the Africa cup of nations a few years back. Honestly how do we expect our leaders to take the world cup seriously when they fail to take seriously their national team here at home?
So Botswana and all these other African countries should just leave South Africa to enjoy, fully, the rewards that come with working hard to host the world cup tournament. As for some of us who come from countries where entertainment is illegal, this is our chance to cross the border over to South Africa and feed our entertainment starved lives.
Botswana failed to make use of Mpule Kwelagobe and Kaone Kario, so really why do we even have to think they can make use of a South African event. By the time you read this I will be in South Africa because I want to Feel It, It is there, not here.
