My enjoyment of soccer has been enhanced considerably during FIFA World Cup 2010. South Africa is turning out to be a wonderful host and viewers are amazed by the beautiful venues. Moreover, South Africans must feel a sense of pride for all this world attention.
However, is it worth $5-billion to produce a mood of national well-being?
"That’s the question the critics are asking. When the World Cup ends Sunday, the euphoria will soon fade, but South Africa’s harsh problems will remain: poverty; unemployment; poor housing; unofficial segregation and deep inequality. Millions of South Africans live in tin shacks without electricity or running water – and without hope of seeing the inside of the World Cup stadiums."
The government says the World Cup has added billions to the economy through tourism and infrastructure projects but most of this stimulus will end with the games. However, the gleaming new venues will sit largely empty with millions of dollars in annual maintenance costs.
Critics like Marcus Solomon, a political prisoner with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island for a decade, "condemns the World Cup as a multibillion-dollar boondoggle, a waste of precious resources and an insult to the poor. 'There’s all this hype in the media, selling it as God’s gift to the poor, but it’s for the elite,” he says. “It’s a crime to spend so much money on professional soccer.'"
“Billions are being spent on new highways to the stadiums, but meanwhile there are no roads in the townships,” Mr. Solomon said. “People are desperate to play soccer, but there are no facilities in the townships. They have to play on the side of the road, or wherever they can. This World Cup doesn’t benefit anyone except a few soccer bosses.”
The scenario of hosting world class games has been played out in many countries over the years. One wonders about the multi-billions spent on such events and whether or not these mega projects serve to help improve the lot of the poor.
