The exit of Bafana Bafana from the Soccer World Cup comes as a welcome relief. It at least means that those of us who kept stacking up stubborn hopes against good sense can swallow our disappointment and just enjoy the remaining games, without the threat of cardiac arrest every time a South African player fumbles a ball in the penalty area.
No doubt the naysayers are delighted, too. They will point at Bafana’s elimination — the first time that the host nation has not progressed past the first round, as they remind us with a chortle — as further vindication of their perverse but fervently held belief that SA never deserved to host the event.
It should, however, confound these Cassandras that Bafana’s short-lived but honourable participation has delivered an array of positive outcomes, none of which has much to do with simplistic win-lose-draw sporting equations.
An obvious benefit has been an improvement in the national mood that goes beyond the sometimes corny attempts by a lightweight African National Congress leadership to emulate Nelson Mandela’s Invictus triumph at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The Soccer World Cup is a reminder that despite the separate lives that we might lead on daily basis, we have a shared destiny. It is a reminder also that a nation’s mettle is melded as much by shared adversity as it is by triumph.
Neither is the failure of the “Madiba magic” this time around to be rued. It is all very well for young children to indulge in magical thinking, to imagine that superstitious ritual can keep at bay the malevolent and usher in the good. That Merlin will materialise out of the mist to wave a magic wand.
But by age 16, it is about time that the teenage New South Africa got to grips with the fact that magic is no substitute for the hard, unglamorous graft of planning and preparation. Merlin does not exist and while Madiba does, he cannot at age 92 be expected to keep having to puff air into the flat tyre of a nation’s resolve because its owners can’t be bothered to carry out basic maintenance routine.
Bafana’s blessed departure gives SA a chance to display maturity in another way, by not always expecting to be the centre of attention.
Contrary to the predictions of the naysayers, the public’s emotional involvement with the Cup will not end because the national team is no longer on show. Almost everyone has a second-choice team to which they will now transfer allegiance.
Now disabused of the conceit that we were destined to be the star turn in our personal show, South Africans can now get on with what the 2010 World Cup is really about — showcasing the country as a premier tourist and investment destination.
Although one wouldn’t think it from the hype, this event was always more about displaying hospitality and the country’s economic potential, than it was about making it through to the top-16 knock-out round. For the visitors it is about pleasure, for SA it is about business.
Jacob Zuma promised that his presidency would be characterised not by ideology, but by a hardheaded focus on measurable results. While this mostly has not happened, the World Cup is an exception.
The infrastructure has been created and, especially as regards transport and communication, will deliver incalculable ongoing benefits. If the hard-spending foreign fans can be cocooned from criminal mayhem for another couple of weeks, irrespective of who lifts the trophy, SA will be the real winner.
The next task is to carry the can-do attitude of SA’s World Cup preparations into areas like job creation, land distribution, and the eradication of poverty and disease.
As much as you rail against the naysayers, your belittling criticisms reveal your latent disdain of our country and its achievements. Furthermore, the RWC is miniscule compared to the SWC, so comparisons are disingenous.
We all knew Bafana was a weak team but we backed it anyway. With your jaded, washed up views, you will NEVER understand what ‘Madiba Magic’ really means or the reawakening of our patriotism after being outsiders in ones own land for centuries.
A balanced assessment – I have to agree that Bafana have had an entirely honourable performance, and that the real lesson is that life is not just about win-lose. It can be about win-win, especially when the people rather than the politicians are the winners.
Madiba Magic never existed. Not even in 1995. It’s a hoary myth — like tooth fairies, ubuntu and competence among deployed cadres.
William Saunderson-Meyer
An obvious benefit has been an improvement in the national mood that goes beyond the sometimes corny attempts by a lightweight African National Congress leadership…”
— ———
If you consider a party (and its leadership) with a following of more than 65% of the SA population a lightweight, I’d then take it as if you’d call the DA leadership a very inconsequential “bantam weight leadership. A very irrelevany kindergarten.
I agree in the main, except, illusionary progress at any cost is not an acceptable goal since it just leaves a real debt with real interest charges attached. Something like the cardboard fronts in a Hollywood cowboy town. If visitors need cocooning, how are we going to assure their safety after the games? Presumably this is what you mean by “business”? Will we, the normal tax-paying civilian have to get used to no police, since they will be looking after tourists in the future?
Bafana did very well, considering they were probably also taught how to play rugby at school, and like all other South Africans, learned soccer on the street.
“Jacob Zuma promised that his presidency would be characterised not by ideology, but by a hardheaded focus on measurable results. While this mostly has not happened, the World Cup is an exception.”
What do you mean “While this mostly has not happened”?
200% for this one William – now we know “we can” – the obvious conclusion and desire is let’s keep doing it – for South Africa and South Africans from now on. We, the people of this marvelous land, deserve the best from our government and we must learn give our best as a people – “The harder I work, the luckier I get” Gary Player’s philosophy. Let’s be leaders and not followers – we have our own character and we certainly do not need to be hero worshipping any other country or political structure. Fair play, integrity, decent values, damn hard work and really caring for and about ALL the people of South Africa will help us find our feet as a nation striving for real democracy and excellence…. Let’s start by committing to decency and excellence as a nation.
The WC has been a resounding success so far as it has illustrated how well our country can do when the the right people do what is required without the constraints of political interference or BEE Affirmative Action.
One would presume though that as soon as the crowds have gone we will return to crime, violent songs, political rhetoric and whatever is needed to get the public (some of them that is) to credit the ANC with the success.
It was qualified, educated and motivated South Africans that made it happen.
Just because, all those years ago, South Africa was awarded the event had nothing to do with having a good soccer team – it had all to do with the level of expertise that the country has, if allowed to be let loose.
Now too as one of our idiot police chiefs had to say, “Criminals know that DURING the world cup you had better behave yourselves or you will face the full might of the law”. Sadly and by inference he indicated that the free for all will continue after that.
As a cynic I suspect that the crime stats for the WC period have been suppressed too so as not to alarm our visitors?
Will the ANC learn from this? I doubt it very much and normal back to business will start half way through July.
What the sportsmen and those able have put together the ANC will tear it all apart.
@siphiwo the anc maybe 65% but you cant produce a decent soccer team
As a nation we are entitled to dream of big things happening to us and we become a centre of attention. The “Madiba Magic” is one but many of the stories of courage for us as a nation. It is a living symbol of our times that we subscribe to as a message of strength, support and victory. Many nations have subscribed to this kind of notion for centuries. it is one of the few things we have that has defeated all cynicsm and anti-unity sentiments. It is a strong message for us as a country therefore we shall continue to have faith in that spirit!
William, once again you score, straight through the legs of a scared cow. Keep that eye jaundiced and you’ll get all the way to the final. I hope the rest of the team listens and learns.
Shame on you, I hope you are are not a South African… or African for that matter !
The centre has held despite the Nasayers from within out country, notably, the Justice Malala, and the Mondli Makhanya’s of this world!
Thank you, William,for an outstanding article.
Your words: “we have a shared destiny … a reminder also that a nation’s mettle is melded as much by shared adversity as it is by triumph” were inspiring. I really felt ‘proudly South African’.
Yes, we are a people of great diversity and a people who have known adversity; but we are also a people of remarkable ability and tenacity.
We now have a new generation of South Africans who condemn the corruption, greed and nepotism of ANC appointees and who see ability and integrity as the yardstick for the upliftment and well-being of every citizen in this wonderful country.
Dave Harris is an ANC plant dont respond to him in any shape or form…
Dave Harris i firmly believe that you actually dont read the articles that you comment on. Please comment on the last paragraph:
“The next task is to carry the can-do attitude of SA’s World Cup preparations into areas like job creation, land distribution, and the eradication of poverty and disease.”
Dont you believe that WE ALL need to carry the World Cup spirit, not just words, on to solving our huge problems???
Brent
South Africans of a particular race has a tendency of always bringing the ANC, Zuma or Malema into any intellectual discourse for no reason at all. I understand that it has become the state of “consciousness” but are you tired?
… but are you not tired?
Themba is absolutely right about Harris, who does cut-and-paste comments on anything critical of the ANC. Because he resycles his comments they are mostly incoherent and tangential. He does claim, however, to have been a great white hero in the liberation struggel, but says he is too modest to reveal all! Ha! Ha!
What is Dave Harris talking about? Did we read the same article? I had to read the article again – please point out the “belittling criticisms” you refer to? The article I just read was positive and actually pride-inducing, and didn’t show the “latent disdain” you spoke of ??? I must just be impressionable then…
@ Themba Tantrum
I should have read your comment first… I will do so from now on!!!
@ Mtimande
Please be bold enough to SPEAK the race you are so coyly referring to? Why is it that if politics (and polititians) are criticised the knee-jerk reaction is the bloody race card? Who the hell said anything about race? You are guilty of exactly the same thing you are accusing this “particular race” of! The tendency to bring race into any political discussion that you don’t sit well with!!!
“Jacob Zuma promised that his presidency would be characterised not by ideology, but by a hardheaded focus on measurable results. While this mostly has not happened, the World Cup is an exception”
I beg to differ with this point – I do believe Thabo Mbeki is the one that did all the work to set up the SWC, everything was already in place before lovepants’ coup-de-tat
There is a huge distimction between being a participant country and a hosting country
Do you not think that there could be some bit of merit in being amongst the very first team to be knocked out of the world cup? Do you really know what winning a world cup means Master William Sauderson? I also am glad the world cup is finally over, We can all now, breathe a sigh of relief. We are happy that we are ready to be rid of all the smog that came with those polluters who have been camping on our airwaves shouting ‘it’s here feel it”. Yes we felt it and we did not all like it.
We are comforted by the wisdom of the prophet Zechariah who encouraged us to keep up the spirit of “Speaking to every man the truth and for each to our neighbor” so that we can receive the benefit of “executing the judgment of truth” which is see through the “peace that will become part of our cities”
Our once clean and clear atmosphere will need some disinfectants. We hope that this will help us in clearing and getting rid of all those pollutants that were left in the air by the world cup fever. Especially those invisible bugs left by those new expert evangelizing radio and TV commentators.
More so for all those that proved themselves worthy of the highest honor in the various degrees in trikology. Some have earned themselves new titles of becoming the real Pirates that robed our people of billions of Rands.
It would be more fruitful to view the world cup as an opportunity to compare the skills of the people as a whole, and not as piece of narrow political interest.
People always wish to mix and play amongst themselves, but politicians remind them that they belong to them by flags and anthems that only arouse foolish information and prevent people from learning about the game.
@ Just curious
“An obvious benefit has been an improvement in the national mood that goes beyond the sometimes corny attempts by a lightweight African National Congress leadership…” William Saunderson-Meyer.
“Jacob Zuma promised that his presidency would be characterised not by ideology, but by a hardheaded focus on measurable results” William Saunderson-Meyer.
“As a cynic I suspect that the crime stats for the WC period have been suppressed too so as not to alarm our visitors? Will the ANC learn from this? I doubt it very much and normal back to business … together the ANC will tear it all apart” Peter Joffe.
“We now have a new generation of South Africans who condemn the corruption, greed and nepotism of ANC appointees and who see ability and integrity as the yardstick for the upliftment and well-being of every citizen in this wonderful country” Charlotte.
Etc…
I liked the bit about Madiba having to puff air into the flat tyre of a nation’s resolve And although i prefer rugby i have thoroughly enjoyed the vibe and many of the games, and the fact that as a country we are proving hospitable and welcoming, and one hears routinely from the tourists one encounters around and about, that the world [in the form of traveller s] is falling in love with us, and we are seen more now as a normal decent country filled with cool people and happy smiles.
Now if we can just convince the ‘Eishkom’ workers that they should keep working ’till after the final. After all who does get a housing allowance anymore… surely that was a legacy of the bad days?
I nominate Sepp Blatter for president….of South Africa.
He has accomplished more in the space of a few months than the real presidents have accomplished in the last sixteen years of ANC power.
Can we somehow pay the man to stay on for a couple of years?