Today marks 200 days until the 2010 Soccer World Cup kicks off. We know this because every single possible media outlet in South Africa has told us so. In fact, since we arrived back in February, it has been possible for us to know the exact number of days until this event, thanks to a national countdown that is displayed on the news each night. In a way, we have been able to use this countdown to measure our time at Refilwe; when we first arrived there was something like 470 days to go. In July, 365. We know that we were in Cape Town 56 days ago, because I took a photo of this sign while we were there:
Now there is 200 days to go. That means that we have been in South Africa for something like 270! And for almost every one of those 270 Days, we have heard something about the World Cup.
We have seen the face of Johannesburg change. The city is full of high rises that were abandoned during the most violent periods of The Struggle against apartheid; mainly used now as homes for squatters, these buildings have been cleared out and covered up. With what? You might ask? Well, with billboards that are the exact height and length of the buildings (called building wraps) . In an instant, the city went from looking rundown and dirty to looking like a modern, advertise-centric metropolis.
The World Cup means many things for South Africa, not least the fact that it signals an indication of a Bright New Future of economic and political prosperity. In terms of industry, business development, tourism and all around good feelings, The World Cup has allowed for growth and/or the promise of growth at a time that South Africa really needed it. With the prospect of millions of people visiting this country next year, everyone is geared up and ready to make some bucks. Everything and anything is branded "2010"... look again at the picture at the top- it's of a hat that a woman wore to a wedding we went to!
There is, of course, the darker side to all of this. Entire settlements of people that have been moved because of their unsightly communities, billions and billions of Rand being spent on the development of roads, railways (which aren't even being used because the Taxi Drivers have flat out refused to accept the train and have blocked as much of its development as they could) and building stadiums. Rand that have not been spent on social infrastructure or education or health care.
One of the biggest concerns that many organisations such as Refilwe who work closely with children is the fact that all schools are closing for the 6 weeks of the Event. This means there will be millions of children with nothing to do, most of them not being able to actually afford to go to any games. Because of the importance of the Event, most of the police force will be allocated to working it, rather than doing their normal work. This potentially means that the crime against already vulnerable children will increase, placing pressure on organisations to ensure these kids can be kept occupied and safe during 2010. Refilwe is certainly considering how it can best look out for the kids in our local communities.
The end results of 2010's World Cup obviously remain to be seen. And not just who wins the title, but also how South Africa emerges on the other side; a better, stronger and more united nation? Or a country that compromised the safety of children and communities for the sake of its 15 minutes of fame?
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