SA has more pressing needs than hosting a world cup
Tourism will be abused in advancing the pro-World Cup argument
IHAD the pleasure of reading Gregory Paul’s article titled “Why South Africa should be given the 2023 Rugby World Cup” on the Monday when South Africa, Ireland and France will be making their presentations in London to host the showpiece. I must state frankly I am a proud South African residing in South Africa, who has stayed at home because South Africa remains a land of opportunities, notwithstanding the challenges that we are facing as a country. I am therefore not part of the sizeable South African emigrants that now call New Zealand home.
My patriotism is defined by the principle of criticism when necessary and giving compliments when a compliment is due.
My country has successfully hosted the 2010 Fifa World Cup, which was one of the most financially profitable for Fifa. The positive images of South Africa broadcast all over the world during the Fifa World Cup placed South Africa on the map, and this improved image was used to attract more international tourists.
When majority rule was achieved after the first democratic elections in 1994, the most pressing need facing the democratic state was to reignite the economy and ensure that labour absorbing economic growth was realised. The state was practically broke and ensuring macroeconomic stability took nearly 10 years to achieve, when the sovereign credit ratings of South Africa improved to +A. Integration into the world economy meant that SA had to compete or adapt and this led to massive job losses. The loss of jobs has been one of the major dividends of democracy, which has meant that unemployment has continued to contribute towards poverty.
South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world and this abnormality has meant that poverty and opulence live side by side.
More than half of South Africans are unemployed and the face of poverty remains young, black and rural. The high rate of unemployment has meant that millions of South Africans can’t reach their full potential, as the rumble of the stomach is what they are most used to.
South Africa is the protest capital of the world and this is widespread from the rural hinterlands to the industrial hubs.
These protests are effective in disrupting public life and lead to business closures, as acts of violence and looting are institutionalised in protests.
I can’t imagine SA hosting a major sporting event when we have not corrected this challenge.
The glamour of hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup has been an insult to the millions who have suffered from the redirecting of funds from healthcare, education and infrastructure.
The World Cup was 10 times more expensive than initially budgeted for and the lies called financial projections were missed.
Today, the state is highly indebted and had to get R149 trillion to fund the national Budget, as announced in the February budget speech.
The state has been mismanaging the public purse and has not used its mineral wealth to create an egalitarian society, suffering from a resource curse.
Durban, which sought to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was recently stripped of the hosting rights because of financial challenges.
South Africa does not need the Rugby World Cup, we have more pressing issues that need our attention, where there is no time to waste time.
The state is today faced with a headache of finding R10 billion to bail out the national carrier, SAA, and the banking institutions have been clear that they not willing to extend credit to the national carrier.
Where will the state get the money to fund the 2023 Rugby World Cup? Possibly from debt again, and this means further losses for South Africans.
Hosting the Rugby World Cup would cripple state coffers and the current political leadership seems to care less about the future, for it is a time of foolishness, and during the worst of times.
South Africa needs to gets its politics in order before it considers hosting a mega event. Tourism, in the absence of the Rugby World Cup, can create immediate jobs if it’s liberated from the red tape of closed skies and visa regulations.
I know that tourism will be abused in advancing the pro-World Cup argument, that it can result in more tourists arrivals. Tourism is the least supported economic sector in South Africa and if it received more support, it would increase its 12% year-on-year growth recorded in 2016. Tourism must not be used to advance the lies that the Rugby World Cup will benefit South Africa, lies have short legs. The revolutionary act of speaking the truth is the highest form of patriotism.