Twisted into knots trying to believe Danny and Co
SO let us give our government and the World Cup local organising committee the benefit of the doubt and call “IT” a donation. Let us consider the possibility that the transfer of money, not from our coffers but directed to the Caribbean football organisation via Fifa, was above board and meant for the development of soccer. Let us overlook the fact that Fifa had an unwritten rule that those who want the honour of hosting the soccer extravaganza must, as a matter of course, grease palms.
If we do all this, we are still left with uncomfortable questions.
It is quite strange that much of South Africa’s wrath has been directed at the FBI. I wonder why. Should we not be ecstatic that it is investigating where our money went and that we will finally see what was done with our donation? Why are soccer bosses and the government not perturbed that the donation did not achieve its intended purpose?
In the eight years since Fifa was instructed to transfer money to Concacaf — a lot of money, I might add — have we bothered to check the outcome of our investment? Even charities have to account for the money they receive from donors.
Why are we so nonchalant about this alleged abuse of our generosity? Surely we should have questions for the individual we appointed as the fiduciary, rather than directing our anger at the FBI. Do our government and the organising committee really have no questions for Jack Warner?
If we are to assume that former Concacaf and Fifa official Chuck Blazer is lying and merely saving his skin, there is still that matter of the claim by former Fifa executive member Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana — that Morocco also paid a bribe, but South Africa paid a bigger one and beat it in the race for 2010.
Spin doctors want us to believe we are being picked on. Perhaps this paranoia is a sign of our inflated sense of self — we think the world is obsessed with us.
The allegation against Germany is very disturbing. The country is accused of lifting the arms embargo against Saudi Arabia so that rocket-propelled grenades could be shipped to the Arab nation. This was allegedly done to steer support away from Morocco in the 2006 bid.
Rockets kill people, fuel wars and leave destruction in their wake. And all this for the World Cup? Those who argue that a bribe is worth it to host the World Cup must then not stop at bribery. What else is worth doing in the name of the tournament? Is fuelling wars also worth it?
Jeffrey Webb, a top-ranking official from the Cayman Islands, is among those arrested in the Fifa debacle on allegations of bribery involving broadcasting rights. Britain is accused of using its MI6 secret service to spy on Russia during the 2018 bid. Australia is under investigation for allegedly parting with $500 000 (about R6-million) in its failed 2022 bid. Various accusations have also been levelled at France, Qatar and Russia. The scope is wide.
So, bizarrely, we must believe that dirty money is all in a day’s work for other bids, but that this nefarious practice was jettisoned for us? It’s a tall order.
The word “diaspora” has taken on a rather comical meaning. Creative South Africans are now calling every bribe, even “cooldrink” money for metro cops, a contribution to the Diaspora Legacy Project!
We laugh in spite of ourselves. I watched with consternation as mayor Danny Jordaan was dramatically whisked away to his car as his bodyguard tried to force CNN journalists away from a public space and shoved his hand in their camera. Why this drama? Why is Jordaan not walking confidently to his car? He has nothing to hide, we are told. And it was a donation, wasn’t it?
South Africans are now calling every bribe a contribution to the Diaspora Legacy Project