Roll out Plan B, Mr Blatter
07/07/2008 08:26  - (SA)  

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Jordaan infuriated by 'Plan B' Fifa admit plan B for 2010

Jon Qwelane

A little while ago, perhaps to "reassure" South Africans that world football governing authority Fifa had not made a mistake in choosing this country as host for the 2010 edition of the showpiece, Fifa president Sepp Blatter spoke very emphatically to dismiss the doubting Thomases.

Said Blatter: "Plan A is South Africa, Plan B is South Africa, Plan C is South Africa and Plan D is South Africa." In other words, the choice of this country as the hosting nation was absolute.

It now turns out that, after all, there is a Plan B, and it will be put in motion if conditions are not suitable during the staging of the Confederations Cup next June, which is a precursor to the World Cup.

Irvin Khoza, chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, and Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, have attempted to put a spin on Blatter's revelation that there is a Plan B which Fifa will activate should things go awry. Of course the World Cup always has a Plan B in the event of disasters such as heavy floods, runaway fires, volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.

But to pretend that Blatter may have had such catastrophes in mind when he revealed there was a Plan B, is to play Mickey Mouse games with the truth. He was not referring to such calamities - Khoza and Stofile know it.

Uninspiring progress

The progress of building the so-called world-class stadiums and the "world-class" Gautrain is not altogether inspiring, and that was what Blatter partly had in mind.

The appalling crime situation in South Africa, where locals are not safe in their own beds and in their homes, sends worries to many prospective football followers who otherwise might wish to come and spend a month here following the beautiful game.

The nefarious criminal "industry" of tracking visitors from the airport to their hotels AND robbing them - sometimes in the hotel basement - is a poor advertisement for the country's state of policing.

Recently there have been mad xenophobic attacks on African immigrants, and the poor response by the government will have convinced many football lovers from African nations such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Congo and others that they may not be safe here.

No benefit

In the meantime billions upon billions of rands have been poured into building these one-day wonders while the vast majority of South Africans go wanting, and the delivery of services is absolutely zilch.

Construction workers at several stadiums have laid down their tools, delaying even more the building of these white elephants.

And let no one lie to you that "our youngsters and communities will benefit" from the stadiums, because they will not.

South Korea and Japan hosted the first World Cup of this century, and South Korea put up impressive gigantic stadiums for the event. South Korea is still paying out the contractors, and the stadiums are rarely being used.

South Africa wanted to impress the world by staging a World Cup we did not need; we needed jobs, houses, first-class health facilities, good education, non-cut-throat food and petrol prices, and not a World Cup we could hardly afford.

Roll out Plan B, Mr Blatter!