Twitter skirmish over hosting of games

NOT long after Durban was declared the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula took on the critics on Twitter – including radio and TV personality Robert Marawa.

By lunchtime yesterday Marawa had been retweeted nearly 300 times when he said: “U can’t invest in local kids realising their athletic dreams then expect us to be jumping up & down at u hosting Commonwealth Games! Mxm.”

Mbalula responded: “1 Billion budgeted to develop, train and capacitate our athletes going to the 2022 @thecgf (Commonwealth Games) I don’t know why @robertmarawa complains.”

He then addressed a series of tweets to Marawa, arguing that “many” people benefited from 2010 Fifa World Cup legacy projects, and that the Commonwealth Games too would leave “a lasting legacy”.

Mbalula told Marawa: “We won’t build, but renovate and add on the existing infrastructure for @thecgf these will be left behind for our athletes… Visit the @MMStadium, it has a high performance, caters for athletes: a legacy of 2012 World Cup … So we don’t want people to jump up and down – what we want is to host a sporting event that we benefit our people @thecgf.”

Marawa retorted to one of Mbalula’s tweets that accountability and seeking answers could hardly be deemed “pessimistic” (as Mbalula had called it). “Blind loyalty helped no one,” Marawa said.

He said “development” of athletes was usually a word which looked good and was used in presentations, but that South Africans were yet to see it happen in reality.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa sided with Marawa, saying South Africa was good at spending money to host tournaments, with no returns.

Comedian Loyiso Gola, the host of the satirical TV show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, tweeted Marawa: “we asked ‘arts and culture’ (department) for one economy class ticket to go to the Emmys and they couldn’t help. Cabanga!”