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Why the hell is South Africa hosting a World Cup?

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    Why the hell is South Africa hosting a World Cup?

    The country has a 30% unemployment rate. Most people live in poverty and they're spending billions on a tournament in a country with one of the highest HIV infected rates in the world where most can't afford the medicine.
    And now the riots and the slaughtering of the immigrants there who are mostly from Zimbabwe.
    When China was having a rebellion in Tibet it got so much coverage with people calling for a boycott, why doesn't anyone say anything about South Africa.
    If they really wanted the tournament held in Africa they should have had a country like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, or Tunisia host it.

    By Marius Bosch
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    JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of shantytown residents on Tuesday in a crackdown on violence against foreigners that has killed at least 24 people and unnerved investors.

    The army could be called in to quell the violence as criminals were exploiting the situation, the president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Jacob Zuma, said in a radio interview.

    The rand currency fell sharply after more than a week of attacks on African migrant workers, accused by many poor township dwellers of stealing jobs and fuelling a wave of violent crime.

    Local media said two people were killed overnight in the Ramaphosa squatter settlement east of Johannesburg.

    Police fired volleys of rubber bullets to disperse about 700 people who earlier forced foreigners from the area, Reuters TV cameraman John Mkhize said. At least two people were injured.

    Thousands of foreigners, mostly from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, have fled into refugee shelters since the violence began on May 11 in Alexandra township.

    Several foreigners have been burned to death, women raped and scores of shops and homes looted. More than 200 people have been arrested.

    Zuma told the BBC World Service criminals were using the attacks as a cover.

    "What we have detected so far is criminality. I would not rule out (bringing in the army) because we need to take the measures that are going to help us stop the violence," he said.

    The violence unsettled investors who feared the xenophobic attacks could hurt the economy. The rand currency fell as much as 1.7 percent to 7.68 to the dollar.

    "We've got the domestic xenophobic violence which is scaring investors away, so these factors are combining to create a weaker rand," said David Gracey, a trader at Nedbank.

    South Africa's tourism minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said the violence could hurt the sector, which contributes around 8 percent of Gross Domestic Product to Africa's biggest economy, employs a million people and attracted 8.4 million visitors last year.

    WORLD CUP

    The South African Football Association said the attacks could harm the country's bid to host a successful soccer World Cup in 2010.

    "You know attacks like this ... are very sad for football, are very sad for the country," SAFA CEO Raymond Hack told Reuters. "So we need to ensure that it (the violence) is brought to an end as quickly as possible."

    Local World Cup organizers have dismissed persistent reports international soccer body FIFA is considering stripping South Africa of the tournament.

    The ANC said the situation was coming under control after it sent officials into townships to urge an end to the attacks.

    Police also increased their deployment to trouble spots.

    "We are going hard on the situation," said Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula.

    The unrest threatens to increase political instability at a time of power shortages, rising inflation and disaffection among the poor over President Thabo Mbeki's pro-business policies.

    Mbeki has faced strong criticism, especially from ANC left wingers, for not spreading the benefits of black rule to millions of poor people.

    South Africa, with a population of 50 million, is home to an estimated 5 million immigrants. Foreigners have been lured from poorer neighbors by work in mines, farms and homes and by one of the world's most liberal immigration and refugee policies.

    The biggest group -- an estimated 3 million -- are from Zimbabwe. They have fled economic collapse at home and the violent political standoff since disputed March 29 elections.

    Mbeki's critics say his softly, softly approach has done too little to end the crisis or stem the flow of migrants.

    (Additional reporting by Paul Simao, John Mkhize, Gugulakhe Lourie and Stella Mapenzauswa in Johannesburg and Wendell Roelf in Cape Town; Editing by Barry Moody and Charles Dick)

    #2
    Originally posted by Nokhodi View Post
    The country has a 30% unemployment rate. Most people live in poverty and they're spending billions on a tournament in a country with one of the highest HIV infected rates in the world where most can't afford the medicine.
    And now the riots and the slaughtering of the immigrants there who are mostly from Zimbabwe.
    When China was having a rebellion in Tibet it got so much coverage with people calling for a boycott, why doesn't anyone say anything about South Africa.
    If they really wanted the tournament held in Africa they should have had a country like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, or Tunisia host it.
    Iam maybe wrong but i thing you are saying that cuz they are Muslims country , South Africa and Lybia are the only two countries in Africa who are consider rich, South Africa is the second richest country in Africa after Lybia and it has less poors than Egypt, Morrocco or Algeria. Lybia was the best option for having a world cup in Africa, not South Africa, its much safer for tourism, just wait and see how many fans will get killed and raped in the 2010 world cup.

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      #3
      should've been in egypt instead

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        #4
        They actually have some nice stadiums, i like Durban and Port Elizabeth
        heres all their stadiums:

        Green Point Capetown


        Durban Stadium Durban


        Ellis Park Johannesburg


        Soccer City Johannesburg


        Free State Mangaung/Bloemfontein


        Port Elizabeth Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth


        Mbombela Nelspruit


        Peter Mokaba Polokwane


        Royal Bafokeng Rustenburg


        Loftus Versfeld Tshwane/Pretoria


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          #5
          i just want to point out that most of those stadiums are in the ghetto parts of the cities. i will not risk my life to go and watch football in a ****ed up country.

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            #6
            durban stadium is exact copy of wembley

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              #7
              rashti in junoobi afrika
              sigpic

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                #8
                Originally posted by Shamim View Post
                Iam maybe wrong but i thing you are saying that cuz they are Muslims country , South Africa and Lybia are the only two countries in Africa who are consider rich, South Africa is the second richest country in Africa after Lybia and it has less poors than Egypt, Morrocco or Algeria. But I agree with you that South Africa is a shitty country, it has the biggest crime rate in the world. Lybia was the best option for having a world cup in Africa, not South Africa, its much safer for tourism, just wait and see how many fans will get killed and raped in the 2010 world cup.
                No not really. Personally I wish the tournament wasn't held in Africa at all. Keeping it in Europe or North America would be better.
                But Egypt and Morocco for example due to the high amount of tourism already have some sort of infrastructure and they have less probability of uprisings like this. Also things like robbery and kidnapping take place much less there.
                Also I think media coverage there is better.

                Pharaoh could explain better.

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                  #9
                  Well South Africa held the 2003 Cricket World Cup there, and it was insanely long too at least 40 odd days, and they organised it rather well with supporters from Australia, England, India, Pakistan, etc coming in their hordes to see the games (esp. Indians if their South African-based Indian bros werent enough already) so I dont see why South African cannot hold a successful World Cup of football as well.
                  sigpic

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Nokhodi View Post
                    No not really. Personally I wish the tournament wasn't held in Africa at all. Keeping it in Europe or North America would be better.But Egypt and Morocco for example due to the high amount of tourism already have some sort of infrastructure and they have less probability of uprisings like this. Also things like robbery and kidnapping take place much less there.
                    Also I think media coverage there is better.
                    Pharaoh could explain better.
                    That will suck big time, the world is not only Europe or North America, there other continents then North America or Europe.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Suprah View Post
                      Well South Africa held the 2003 Cricket World Cup there, and it was insanely long too at least 40 odd days, and they organised it rather well with supporters from Australia, England, India, Pakistan, etc coming in their hordes to see the games (esp. Indians if their South African-based Indian bros werent enough already) so I dont see why South African cannot hold a successful World Cup of football as well.
                      Yes but Cricket is a very commonwealth sport and most of the fans are Pakistanis and Indians and they can stand poor conditions alot longer than Mr. Chav from the fish'n chips shop in Newcastle.
                      Also the cricket world cup is a much smaller tournament.
                      Also Egypt hosted the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and from what I saw and heard they did an amazing job.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Shamim View Post
                        That will suck big time, the world is not only Europe or North America, there other continents then North America or Europe.
                        Well honestly no African country can compete with the spending power of Europe or North America. Besides a few East Asian countries, Australia and maybe UAE no other countries can really host the tournament well.

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                          #13
                          sometimes when it seems like TM is not gonna make it, i tell myself...hell who wants to travel to freaking south africa anyways...!! and i feel all better...!!
                          lol

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                            #14
                            Besides where will be the 2014 world cup???? I heard its Brazil but i am not sure does anyone knows better??

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by Shamim View Post
                              Besides where will be the 2014 world cup???? I heard its Brazil but i am not sure does anyone knows better??
                              iv heard australia but im not too sure


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