The New South Africa

By Renee Moodie

Eighty percent of people who voted in an IOL poll believe that South Africa will not be ready to host the 2010 soccer World Cup.

The poll was based partly on a Business Report article, quoting construction giant Murray & Roberts as saying that there will be no room to extend time for construction of stadiums for the World Cup as it takes a minimum of 36 months to build a "specification stadium" without a roof.

A total of 1 035 people voted on the question “Do you think our infrastructure will be ready before the start of the 2010 Soccer World Cup?”, with 213 – or 20 percent - saying yes, and 832 - or 80 percent - saying no.

• The infrastructure is not there (rob).
  
• Hell will freeze over before we are ready for 2010 (Adele).
  
• This country is not yet ready to host a function of this magnitude (MarkN).
  
• Just look at your current headlines - R89-million lost by Marine & Coastal Management, Hammanskral school buildings in shambles, Zuma best choice to head SA etc etc. You make up your own mind (zil).
  
• By the time 2010 comes along, half the money allocated will be stolen, there will be investigations but no convictions, there will be internal fighting in the football union, the building contractrors will have gone on strike, SARFU will be running around like chickens with no heads with the begging bowl in both hands pleading with anyone who will help, the cement supplies will have dried up and most of all the qualified and competent skilled labout will have been chased from the country by the ANC. (Imboriako)
  
• Germany knew which roads would be closed and how traffic would be routed 4 YEARS before the World Cup kicked off. We are nowhere near that sort of organisation. That is the difference between First World and Third World mentality. There will be allegations of missing money, worker strikes before this is over. (Anton)
  
  Those who think we will be ready said:
  

• Yet another opportunity for white South Africans to shoot their country down. Clearly so few of you know much about the rest of the world. remember that Fifa (except for one corrupt new zealander) thought we were just as good as Germany for the 2006 world cup. (Anon).
  
• We have a more transparent government than any in the world. We have a huge and cheap labour force to build our stadiums. Our country is one of the top 10 international conference venues in the world and we have hosted world cup cricket and rugby events. We have no reasons not to be ready and we have more skills than most places in the world. (Goliath)
  
  
• I definitely think we'll be ready. If Fifa believes we can do it, why can't we? Everyone else thinks it's possible, it's up to us to be positive and stop complaining. Many people lament that South Africa's spirit is gone. I think 2010 is a perfect opportunity for us all just to have a little faith and work together. (Rose)
  
• As long as we start soon, we'll be OK. There are too many in SA that are automatically negative. We've hosted huge events before (World Cups and WSSD) without a problem, so let's just get to work! (Duncan)
  
  Some who simply hope we will be ready said:
  
  
• Call us optimistic, denial or whatever we will be ready for our World Cup!!!! It also took Germans 36 months to complete some of their stadiums. on the year of the tournament their stadiums were completed. 2010 here we come!!!!! (Zolani)
  
• As a South African and a proud one at that, I can only hope that all will be ready, but like anything in life nothing is guaranteed. (merylin)
  
  And some took a more complex stance:
  
  
• I'm sure we will do what is needed for 4 weeks of football. My concern is that the R20,000,000,0000 or whatever could be spent in a better way and not simply for a football tournament leaving, among other things, magnificent empty football stadia. What benefit will accrue to shack dwellers, unemployed, victims of the high crime rate, inadequate transport system used by millions every day, people not near World Cup venues ??
  
• If the stadiums are ready in time, it will be because of the Government eventually throwing all the money they have at the project in order to keep face. It will not be because of their good planning etc. (Anon)

South Africans are angry about growing corruption and that the politically well-connected seem to be the main beneficiaries of democracy, researchers said on Friday.

"It is a season of grievance," the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation's (IJR) Susan Brown said in Johannesburg.

Brown, the IJR's political programme manager, and IJR director Professor Charles Villa-Vicencio presented the findings of the IJR's 2006 transformation audit.

Brown edited the report, titled "Money and Morality".