Recently, international soccer governing body Fifa decided to take a Cape Town company to court over their selling of key rings. The key rings are in the form of two ixilongo (plural for vuvuzela) crossing towards the blow ends with “2010″ embossed onto a soccer ball. What’s worrying are reports of an inspectorate who will travel routes which teams and officials will use to and from venues to ensure that no advertising is done other than what has been sanctioned by Fifa. I just read a report today that Japan joined a line of other soccer nations asking Fifa to completely ban the vuvuzela during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament.
Our Parliament passed the Fifa Special Measures Act (Act 11 of 2006), after the government had to give some guarantees to Fifa. But in no way does the Act intend for Fifa to usurp certain powers, like they seemingly think they have. Look, I’m all for the protection of property rights but do they have the right, for instance, to tell us that we cannot blow a vuvuzela?
I have yet to see another country where they use the vuvuzela in numbers as we do. Also, no one in this world has any rights over the use of the year 2010. Must I be too afraid to say loudly that I will be turning 33 in 2010? And should I hide my son’s soccer ball until after the World Cup?
The Special Measures Act also gives Fifa some leeway with regards to security for the World Cup. But now they think they can take over our entire security system. They demanded, for instance, that the national police commissioner be accountable to the minister of sport and recreation. The way it would work is that the commissioner would be the top dog for operational planning in terms of safety and security. But the minister of sport and recreation would then chair a board (of three people) that could overturn certain decisions of the commissioner, effectively making the minister also responsible for police operational matters!
At the stadia, Fifa wants the police to secure the perimeter but no police officer will be allowed into the stadium. The security inside will be handled by Fifa-appointed security companies and stewards. And these could come from anywhere in the world. So there will be no sure way of ensuring that no criminals slip through the system.
I was overjoyed when Sepp Blatter announced that South Africa won the rights to host the 2010 World Cup. And I still think it is a good thing and could assist South Africa and our economic recovery. But is it right of Fifa to expect us to hand over the keys and leave house?
For one, I would love to stand outside OR Tambo International Airport with a vuvuzela when the Fifa leadership arrive for the opening of the World Cup. Not because I love defiance but to show that South Africans are not to be pushed.
Leave the vuvuzela alone, it’s ours. The rest of the world is just jealous because we have our vuvuzela and all they have are soccer hooligans!
Personally I feel the vuvuzela does make a god awful noise….but so what? Deal with it, and I hope our supporters make so much noise that the opposing team really can’t hear themselves think!!!
VIVA VUVUZELA!!!
PLEASE BAN that blasted horrible plastic tube!!
I do think that if several international federations have called for a ban, then we should stop being arrogant and defensive (like ASA before) and LISTEN to their case, above the drone of the vuvuzela.
I for one dont have a problem with the instrument, and believe it has a place in local football, so as to make it sound like there are more than five spectators at a local PSL game however, if it is the wish of thousands of fans and international teams coming over to not have to listen to its tuneless drone, then perhaps we should adhere to it for the sake of the tournament, and the billions of rands that will be spent in 2010.
Calling a ban, and enforcing a ban on vuvuzelas – now those are two completely different propositions.
Vuvuzela for life.
@Zaq
It’s our horrible plastic tube. We’ll keep it, thank very much.
See Granny in Madam and Eve for further thoughts on the vuvuzela.
I cant believe people want to ban it. Bullying and disgraceful. This is our world cup, hosted in our country, at great expense by the South African taxpayer. And then getting told what not to do! Its like buying a TV and then getting told which channels to watch.
The Vuvuzela is part of South African football culture, and surely part of us hosting the world cup is us presenting South Africa to the world, the vuvuzela, the game reserves, beaches, etc etc.
The foreign fans mostly wont be blowing them, so surely they wont be a huge problem anyway. And if they are deafening at Bafana Bafanas games, good, that is what home support is all about, and lets face it, we need all the help we can get for our struggling national side.
Personally I am going to buy one and blow it with pride, as loudly as bloody possible. The politicians and fuddy duddies all need a good old kick up the arse.
I think the vuvus will be loud in games where SA takes part and milder to varying degrees in others. Leave things alone and let the public decide what’s good for them. Fifa must not push for a ban they know they cannot enforce and locally the overreacting must also stop.
viva vuvuzela – its our way!
but this world cup is no different to our economic policy- where we constantly pander to the dictates of our overlords! Uncle-Toms in Pretoria?
fifa is a sick corporation-not just the rights to 2010 as marketing but also the pillaging of potential wealth creation through its client “Match” which has an effective monopoly on accomodation!
some quotes on FIFA:
17 June 2006
TROUBLED IN TRIPOLI: Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi denounced FIFA on Saturday as a corrupt “slave market” that keeps soccer in the hands of the wealthy and deepens hatred among nations.
“FIFA is “monopolized and badly exploited” and its discrimination has only “increased international racism.”"
“Even broadcasting it through radio and television has been monopolized,” Gadhafi said. “The poor will not attend it nor see it, hear it or read about it. Only the rich are entitled to enjoy it.”
His comments come amid widespread anger in the Middle East because many fans are unable to watch the World Cup after rights in the region were snatched up by the satellite station ART, owned by Saudi businessman Sheik Saleh Kamel. Many cannot afford the high fees for ART subscriptions.
Frankly, I’m fast getting to the stage where I’m bored to tears by any mention of the 2010 World Cup. The noise that darn thing makes is atrocious, but then so is my son’s loud music. I can, at least, tell him to find another home, another mother. Wonder what would happen if I told all vuvuzela blowers to find another country… (need I wonder, we all know the answer)
If I watch any of the games, it will be on TV, with the sound inaudible. I know that FIFA wanted more pizazz/marketing, but their ad agency (hint) should have told them that when it carries on too long, it actually turns people off.
If you aren’t bored yet, you probably soon will be. If not, you have an incredibly low threshold for the ridiculous. Imagine wishing anyone ‘Happy birthday’ every day for a full year before hitting the right day?
BAN IT!!! BAN IT!!!! Is that all SA can offer? One hell of a lot of noise? Why don’t we rather try to impress them by playing desent soccer for a change. You know the saying that empty tins make the biggest noise. So we can’t play soccer now we want to blast them away with noise….shame.