Two weeks into the World Cup and the three teams my veins pertrude for are in serious trouble to be eliminated. Buffoona, Buffoona - AKA South Africa - are a hopeless case and virtually out already. The US and England, with meagre 2 points after 2 games, have still a theoretical chance, with the odds slightly higher for the US to still advance. Last night's games showed a spirited Team USA coming from behind to tie 2-2 with Slovenia, showing great poise and will. The same cannot be said of the England team. A lacklustre and unimaginative performance, with the players who earn £35,000 - 40,000 a month complaining about the pressure of the tournament. The Algerian players, however, seemed to manage well despite earning only a tenth of their insular opponents. Go figure!
My money (£50) is firmly on Holland who won over Japan today. That win qualifies them already for the round of the last 16 regardless of the result of their next game.
In other news, my hero and employer (as of Sep 1) met my heroine from SA, Western Cape premier Hellen Zille.The DA (Democratic Alliance) forges ever closer ties with the Conservative Party, I am pleased to observe. Well done, Boris and Helen!
There are on average 4 days of perfect weather in Scotland per year, and I had hoped this weekend would be one of those days. No cigar, so I cancelled at the last minute our journey to Edinburgh, re-setting it tentatively for June 27-29, Emily's tight schedules permitting. So, we're staying put and do the Strand instead. Current Music (Spotify linked):Roxy Music – Do The Strand
Asking the sobering question: "Why on earth have we even proposed to have the WC staged in South Africa? To spend $2.8 billion that we don't have on a 4-week kicking extravaganza, and nearly $100 million on party events for FIFA exec's, while many of South Africans live on $2 per day? We could have built 600 schools, but ANC hoodlums opted instead for 3 games of SA to play and be humiliated, like last night."
Allez, Afrique du Sud! Bafana, Bafana! Gaan Suid-Afrika! Oh dear; reality check was swift and brutal, and South Africa failed miserably. We have no business in the World Cup, and have been eliminated as a consequence. It's all over, and we can sober up to a bill of $2.8 billion now, thanks to the ANC, Nelson Mandela and Sepp Blatter, the nazi swine from Fifa.
I vehemently oppose the ban of the vuvuzela in SA stadia! For once I don't have to turn off the sound to be spared of the idiotic drivel from Brit commentators as it is drowned by the cheerful noise of thousands of vuvuzelas. FIFA, fuck off and die!
England Hold Favourite USA to a 1-1 Underdog England showed decent composure to hold the US team to a one-all score, intermittently even taking the lead early on in the game. The result, however, increases the chance of England to drop out of the World Cup from 50-50 before the match to 60-40 odds now.
Winners today were South Korea (2-0 over pathetic Greece) and Argentina (1-0 over Nigeria in an impressive game that firmly establishes the South Americans now as a favourite to win the title). I can't believe how excited Enily gets during matches (we both wanted the US to win so badly). She also will have the joy of supporting France. Allez Les Bleus!
WC2010 Opens With Anti-Climax and 2 Ties
Spectators were bored by the first two matches today as South Africa held Mexico to a 1-1 tie, while the France vs Uruguay match ended scoreless. Host South Africa surprised by gaining one point, but all four teams of the day disappointed over-all. The monotonous sound of vuvuzelas added to the boredom of spectators and many fell asleep watching the uninspired kicking of balls.
The first match of interest will take place tomorrow when the young US squad will clash with the universally disliked ghetto brethren from England. Referees have been instructed in typical English swear words in order to eject English plebs from games should they resort to their trademark cursing and swearing. Charming, eh?
Three Britons Dead as Killings of Foreigners Begin
More than 63,000 people were killed in crimes and violent traffic incidents in 2009, and fears that foreigners will be caught up in the killing spree during the World Cup have become true today. Three Britons died in a preventable crash of an illegally remodelled truck in the eastern Mpumalanga Province near the border with Swaziland, 18 more suffered severe injuries.
The deaths followed several other incidents involving foreigners. In a hotel where 20 foreign journalists covering the world cup reside, unknown gunmen raided two rooms of sleeping newsmen from Spain and Portugal at 4AM, ransacking the rooms while holding guns to the heads of the shocked Europeans. The gunmen escaped over the fence surrounding the hotel, leaving behind shocked and traumatised victims. In Johannesburg a Portuguese fan was stabbed to death in a botched robbery attempt, while a German woman was raped at her home near Pretoria after refusing to hand over money to home invaders.
On the eve of the opening of WC2010, when Mexico is expected to thrash the home team, the death toll of foreigners has climbed to six since Monday.
Debilitated Mandela to Attend WC Opening?
Will he or won't he? This question captivates South Africans similarily to the frenzy of the 1980s when the world asked, "Who shot JR?"
The people on the dusty roads of South Africa wonder whether the incapacitated former ANC leader will be raised to the occasion of the opening ceremony of WC on Friday. While there is a toilet war going on in South Africa - mainly in the slums of the country's major townships - "WC" stands for this year's World Cup.
Enthusiasm for the tournament, or rather for the fact that the globally puerile ball-kicking takes place in SA, will quickly dissipate once Mexico will maul Buffoona, Buffoona by a score of 6-0 Friday afternoon.
Nelson Mandela is physically incapacitated and unaware of his surroundings these days. The SA government has ordered 22 metres of virtually invisible nylone ropes, to be attached to Nelson's limbs in hopes to make the ex-con appear lively and animated, dancing to the tunes played throughout the stadium. The idea to make Nelson play the vuvuzela had to be shelved: the old man's lungs are too weak to blow on hot food, let alone to muster enough breath to play the 'instrument'. But the prospect of Nelson dancing the Ali Shuffle - thanks to the transparent and invisible ropes - mesmerizes the nation already.
The Zuma family — South Africa’s First Family and once the advert for a harmonious bigamist marriage — is showing cracks in the spotlight.
Bless!
It follows a letter leaked to the media carrying allegations that President Jacob Zuma’s second (out of four) wife Nompumelelo Ntuli (MaNtuli) is pregnant with her bodyguard’s child and that the bodyguard has since reportedly committed suicide.
The besieged 'family' has predictably described the letter, which states to be from concerned family members, as a smear campaign against MaNtuli, aimed at undermining the president even further.
Sources close to the family say it is probable that a family member has written the letter, given some of the intimate details contained in it. There is also speculation that a close family friend who has since fallen out of favour with the president may be involved.
The sources said they are bewildered that the allegations against MaNtuli are being aired in the public domain. But they said MaNtuli’s popularity within the family has fallen following her 'bad behaviour' (jealous fit) when the president announced he was going to take another wife. Whata surprise - a wife being angry after finding out her husband is to marry another woman, not bothering with divorce first!
"She is not very popular within the family right now because of her rude behaviour," said a source! DUH! The furore surrounding the letter has exposed the cracks in Zuma’s polygamous marriage, with several newspapers divulging details of MaNtuli’s 'meltdown' when she heard he was to take a third wife.
The Mail & Guardian reported that she was fined a goat in April for her "bad behaviour". The newspaper also reports that MaNtuli "went berserk" when the president called her to Pretoria late last year to inform her of his pending parallel nuptials. Ntuli allegedly broke security gates and lashed out at the police who guard Zuma. Good for her!
'Family' spokesperson Khulubuse Zuma described the current furore with a sense of paranoia as a continuation of the attack on the person of the president and his political career. He ranted on, spewing "it is particularly shameful and alarming that the president’s political enemies have now taken to masquerading as members of his family who spread malicious innuendo about him and his family."
Sources said there will be a Zuma clan meeting in Nkandla this weekend to thrash out this and other issues. Special! They added that they believed MaNtuli was unhappy [no shit!], especially after she was embarrassed over unpaid electricity and water bills at her Durban home. Yet, the embarassing Zuma took her both to the 25th Africa-France summit at the beginning of the week and on to the state visit of India.
Cops Shot as SA Lives Up to Reputation Reality Hits and Teams Take Cover Armed robbers killed one police officer and wounded another on Saturday in a shoot-out on a highway next to the base camp for several football World Cup squads.
A spokesperson for the Gauteng police said the officers came under fire south of Jo'burg after cornering two cash-in-transit vehicles which had been hijacked by the robbers. "Two police officers were shot, one was killed and one was injured when they responded to a cash-in-transit robbery," said Colonel Noxolo Kweza. Two guards were also injured in the shootout and the robbers escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.
It was the first brush with the violent reality of South Africa for several international teams, including Mexico (where the incident has also a familiar ring) and Ivory Coast: gangs hijacking cars, kidnapping people, police exchange gunfire, coppers pinned or shot down and gangsters escape. The shooting took place on the Maraisburg slipway off the main N1 highway which is next to the bases for both Mexico and Ivory Coast during the tournament which kicks off next weekend. High crime rate remains the chief concern in the run-up to the World Cup taking place in a country which has a murder rate of around 50 a day.
Eastern Cape Shootings Leave Several Dead
Two people were killed and a third critically injured in separate shooting incidents between police and alleged robbers in NU16, Mdantsane, in the Eastern Cape. Captain Mluleki Mbi said the shooting took place when police searched for suspects linked to armed robberies in the area over the last few weeks. "In the morning as police were patrolling, a number of robbers who were hiding in the bushes shot at them... police then returned fire killing one suspect and critically wounding the other," Mbi said. A few hours later, following a tip-off, another suspect was shot dead in the same area after he opened fire at police.
In another incident - to round out a regular day in the life of South Africans - a man was killed in a shoot-out with police at a spaza shop in Willowvale, Eastern Cape. "Three men went to the Jabula Trading Store at 2.30 am on Saturday. They shouted for the owners, who live on the property, to give them money. One of the men who own the shop called the police," said police spokesperson, Captain Jackson Manatha. Once police arrived, a shoot-out between the robbers and police ensued, and one of the hoodlums was killed.
I put my bets on three teams to win the World Cup today - in an effort to keep my interest somewhat alive for an otherwise silly and meaningless event; aside from the travesty of wasted billions of taxpayers' money. £50 on Netherlands, £35 on Spain and £15 on Brazil Now you know.
Gorgeous morning here: sun is out, 19 degrees and breakfast on the terrace - London at its best.
Last night we had guests over, fancy drinks and inaugurating the South Africa version of Monopoly. Great entertainment until 2AM. At £30.00 the price for the SA board game could buy me 300 acres of land in Gauteng, or lunch for two in Cape Town.
It's a delight to see how competitors are losing their trademark players all over the place. First Beckham, then Rio Ferdinand, now Drogba... hope Rooney is next, dragged by a lion into the Kruger Park and mauled. In a week they will be thrashed by the US boys 3-0 (or maybe 4-0), setting the pace for an early exit for England. And if terrorists, or SA thugs dressed as policemen, kidnap the German squad, I will be totally happy. Throw them into the Indian ocean, them fookers!
Today we drive down to Canterbury and Dover, where I will be Emily-Aysu's tour guide. Back at 10 tonight for a party in Wimbledon, and we'll stay overnight with friends.
... that the most homophobic and xenophobic team participating in the World Cup, the English soccer squad, has been welcomed by dancing black South Africans today?
They are obviously oblivious to the hundreds of incidents a year involving British players, teams and their fans in acts of blatant racism and hate crimes. But then, South Africa might fit the racist bill after all: xenophobic attacks have left more than 110 foreigners dead since 2008 in this "Rainbow Nation", and gays and lesbians are institutionally targeted with "corrective rape" by homophobic thugs, condoned by the ruling ANC.
Strange world, tarnished World Cup; Buffoona, Buffoona!
US Attorney, legal expert and Law professor Alan Dershowitz comments on Israel's strict interpretation and enforcement of the quarantine of Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and counters the vitriolic rhetoric against the Jewish state by the traditional critics such as Syria, Iran, European Union, PLO, al-Qaeda and similar hoodlums. Mr Dershowitz concedes that while absolutely reconcilable with international law, the repelling of a Hamas challenge on the High Seas might not have been wise. Alan Dershowitz Israel's Actions Were Entirely Lawful Though Probably Unwise Although the wisdom of Israel's actions in stopping the Gaza flotilla is open to question, the legality of its actions is not. What Israel did was entirely consistent with both international and domestic law. In order to understand why Israel acted within its rights, the complex events at sea must be deconstructed.
Israel Enforces 3-Year Quarantine of Hamas Stronghold Activists' Attempt to Break Through Blockade Claims 9 Lives
The extremists of the Arab world, who danced on the streets when thousands of Americans were killed in the September 11 [2001] terrorist acts, are lamenting now over the death of some activists on board of vessels that have been directed by Hamas in an attempt to break the naval blockade of the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. The blockade has been imposed after Iranian weapons were smuggled into Gaza in circumvention of UN resolutions some 36 months ago.
The flotilla of six vessels, 3 under US and three under Turkish flag was partly organised by a group closely affiliated with Hamas. The US-flagged ships turned away after prompted to do so by the approaching Israeli naval force. Israel has offered to tow the other vessels, with some 700 people on board, into an Israeli harbour and let any 'humanitarian aid' be transported into Gaza over land. Obviously, there was not much room for any "aid of goods" as the vessels were filled to capacity with activists. When Israeli police and military boarded one ship that refused to abort its journey towards Gaza, they were received with an agitated mob of knife and ax wielding hysterics. When first Israeli commandos were injured the force opened fire.
Principally, it is Israel's right and declared policy to defend itself against the threat of a re-armed Hamas terrorist organisation. The knowledge of the naval blockade is known around the world, as is Israel's determination to maintain its tight grip on the terrorist strip of land. The Israeli commandos acted in self-defence and all responsibility for the loss of life lies within the organisers of the law defying flotilla. On board of the three vessels was not a load of "10,000 tons of goods" as claimed by Hamas, but - according to independent observers from 5 countries - a maximum of 15 tons of goods. In the past such 'humanitarian aid' consisted of materials to build missiles, ammunition and explosives.
Hamas are happy with the result of their misdeed to kill yet again. They did not intend to help the civilians that they entrap in Gaza Strip but to "break the blockade as a publicity stunt" according to their own spokesman. It cost nine people their lives. The same Hamas that forced rival Palestinians to jump off buildings to their deaths three years ago feign compassion for the victims of an operation they themselves concocted.
In Britain the BBC spearheads the media blitz to condemn Israel with paradoxal drivel, culminating this morning in an interview of the Israeli Ambassador with newsreader John Humphrys on Radio4, in which an agitated John exclaimed, "but a knife is not a weapon, Mr Ambassador!" How curious, broadcasting from a British city where on average 18 juveniles a year get stabbed to death with non-weaponry such as knives and daggers...
I join Israel in its condemnation of the cynical plot of Hamas to maim and kill, the expressed regret over the loss of life, and especially in praise to maintain Israel's safety and integrity.
The fishy government of Scotland under First Minister Salmon put forward to voters proposed changes to the school curriculum for 6-12 year olds, to add 3 hours of English lessons per week. If passed, the change would mean a 30% increase of time spent in schools for the youngsters, adding English to the currently taught classes in Tribal Lingo, Survival, Tribal History, Food & Feed and Adding & Subtracting.
The government's plan met fierce opposition from parents, who insisted that their offspring have to spend already 11 hours a week away from caves, where they are needed for bat control, wall drawings and work on the potato patches. Eighty-four percent of the electorate voted against the change.
Random stuff on my mind, at the breakfast table... First off, I had a good lunch yesterday with the Eurostar arrival, at the bank's expense, which made it double-sweet. To be fair I split the bill: bank paid for meals, I paid for drinks. During lunch Emily flashed 2 tickets to Oslo, which was kinda annoying because there was no way I could get off work before 5pm, and the flight was at 3:30. I was miffed over the lack of planning and the last minute ambush. It soured my mood enough to make even the parting shots of Sambuca taste like vinegar. Emily ("E-II") is part of the French entourage at the Eurovision Song Contest, the annual global barfing ritual. Oslo is a nice place to visit, I have always enjoyed trips there; but for the Eurovision? AS IF!
Next surprise this morning: courtesy of E-II, E-I will now be in Edinburgh for Sunday and the Bank Holiday. Reunions in enemy hinterland are supposed to be especially enchanting; we shall see.
Thirdly, I can't keep politics out of a posting. It's time to celebrate a huge triumph for the Democratic Alliance, the SA Party I have been active for since 2007, and which is aligned with the Tories here in England. The DA has recorded remarkable victories against the ANC in by-elections in the City of Cape Town (Gugulethu-Heideveld) and Theewaterskloof (Grabouw) municipalities, for the first time ever. It shows that the DA is the only Party in SA truly embracing all races and classes, as even black voters desert the ANC. People are fed up with a virtual one-party state and the abuse of power that comes with it. Voters have judged the achievements of the DA: highest prosperity of all states of the Union (and of the African continent), lowest crime, responsible and responsive governance and fiscal discipline. --- Today is shopping day, and I will hit the mall shortly [Westfield London SC at Sheperds Bush]. Optimist that I am, I will shop for summer wardrobe items, despite being in London. To use an analogy from the financial markets: I'm a contrarian, with a refreshing tad of Tourette's symptoms. Bloody hell.
Total Chaos Reigns as Buffoona Buffoona Play Colombia in Sun City
It was supposed to be a trial run for the opening ceremony on June 11th: a match featuring home team South Africa, fondly dubbed Bafana Bafana by locals, against a formidable foe in front of an excited home crowd. But this is South Africa, and things work out differently here, if at all.
The sports value of a friendly between the world's #92 and #34 teams was zero. The match dragged on without much skill, imagination and technique; consequently all three goals were the results of pre-arranged penalty kicks, allowing the SA side to edge Colombia 2-1.
Crowd control in the stadium, with 73,000 in attendance, was mediocre. Many of the fans reached their seats well into playing time, and were stuck by slow moving queues up to three hours after the game. Even worse, at halftime electricity failed, plunging parts of Soccer (how ironic!) City Stadium into darkness. It also ended the nation-wide TV coverage for the whole second half.
Around the stadium three killings and about 200 robberies have been reported by police by this morning. Among the victims were the Colombian football players, robbed of money and personal items in their hotel room. With strikes looming by Eskom (the energy provider), Cosatu (transport and trade) and police in the month of June, it is easy to foresee the anarchy awaiting sports enthusiasts next month.
State Dep Issues SA Travel Advisory A travel alert issued Wednesday warns of a "heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future," but adds that "while a number of terrorist threats against the World Cup have appeared in recent weeks and months, the U.S. Government has no information on any specific threat.
But, as South Africa gears up for this month's launch of the FIFA World Cup, the U.S. State Dept. is strongly cautioning Americans to keep their eyes on more than the ball.
Crime fears have dogged the World Cup since South Africa won the right to host the matches, and the State Dept. advises visiting drivers to "keep doors locked and windows closed, avoid having purses, phones, bags and luggage in plain view, and when stopping at intersections at night or in isolated locations, leave enough space in front of your vehicle for a quick exit. Be wary of street vendors at traffic lights, planted obstacles and staged 'accidents' that may be traps for unsuspecting motorists."
The alert also mentions that "extreme shortages of hotel rooms are likely," particularly in smaller cities. But despite strong interest from U.S. fans, who've bought more tickets than soccer-crazed Germany and England combined, the number of foreign visitors is down dramatically from original estimates. FIFA announced today that another 90,000 tickets will have to be released May 28 for all 64 matches, including the opening, final and two semi-finals. Prices are coming down by 50% for both hotel rooms and airline tickets: According to a spokeswoman for South African Airways, flexible fans can find seats from the East Coast to Johannesburg during the World Cup for as little as $1,480 round-trip, down from $3,000 a few months ago.
AI Condems Massive Human Rights Violations Situation Worse Than During Apartheid Regime - Report
In its report on South Africa, published earlier today, Amnesty International slams the ANC schemes of nepotism, corruption and incitement of xenophobia. The report points out that in many regards South Africans today are worse off than in the waning days of the Apartheid regime, and the worst in twenty years.
"Corruption and nepotism impeded community access to housing and services, and led to the collapse of some municipal governments and to widespread protests among affected communities," read a report by Amnesty International on human rights in South Africa. Some of the policies imposed on black South Africans by the ANC regime hurt and impede coloured people more than under the most stringent rules under apartheid, a commentator added.
"Persistent poverty, rising levels of unemployment, and violent crime, together with the crisis in the public health sector, posed continuously significant challenges for the reluctant ANC government. Errant political developments continued to affect the independence and integrity of the administration of justice on all levels," read the report.
Siphiwo Ntshebe dead at age 34 "Pavarotti of South Africa" was to open WC2010
The curse over this year's Soccer World Cup in South Africa continues. On Tuesday evening the nation's foremost tenor - often compared to a young Italian opera megastar Pavarotti - has died from an acute meningitis. The 34-year old Siphiwo Ntshebe died while at work for his new album and was supposed to sing the song "Hope" at the opening ceremony of WC2010 in Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on June 11th. He died where he was born, in the coastal town of Port Elizabeth.
The song "Hope" [ oh the irony!] included a 'message of peace and compassion' from former ANC activist Nelson Mandela. FIFA officials have expressed their 'shock' over the untimely passing of Ntshebe, which comes after numerous catastrophes that have afflicted the run-up to the World Cup.
Should Football Fans Fear for Their Lives? Just How Dangerous is South Africa?
With a multitude of tourists heading to South Africa for the World Cup, a question hangs on many lips: how dangerous is the country?
South Africa is a place where a lot of violent crime happens. That much is hard to dispute. Each day an average of nearly 50 people are murdered. In addition to these 18,000 murders each year, there are another 18,000 attempted murders.
Murder is a staple of the news. In April, it was white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche. Earlier this month, it was Lolly Jackson, the flamboyant owner of the Teazers strip club chain, killed at a house in Kempton Park, just outside Johannesburg.
In the run-up to the World Cup, global newspapers have been awash with painting a terrifying picture of South Africa. One recently told its readers about "Cape Town's culture of gangsters, drugs, rape, robbery and a murder every 25 minutes". Sadly, while voyeuristic by design, the report itself was no exaggeration.
So should football fans fear for their lives at the World Cup? It's a complicated picture, says Johan Burger, senior researcher in the crime and justice programme at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies. The first thing is that the South African murder rate is going down and not up, albeit from frighteningly high levels. "Contrary to what many people think, the murder rate, while still extremely high, is down by about 44% since 1995. That's a huge decrease." But not much of consolation for the unaware tourist.
The geographical and social spread of murder might be relevant to visitors. "What is important to understand about our high crime rate is that we know from research that approximately 80% of our murders happen within a very specific social context, mostly between people that know one another. "There is something wrong within some of our communities in terms of the social interaction and the social conditions." Basically, stay out of black neighbourhoods - which make up for 92% of South Africa's land mass.
In blunt terms, areas with problems have murder levels that can be wildly above the national average of 50 murders a day. Kwa Mashu, a township outside Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, has the unfortunate honour of being dubbed South Africa's murder capital, with 300 killings last year. It took the unwanted honour from Nyanga, a township outside Cape Town.
Economy Languishes at Contracted Levels Anemic Growth as ANC Fails to Provide Stimulus
New figures released by the SA Central Bank yesterday show the lapidated state of the economy and the damage caused by a reckless spending spree of the ANC regime, fleeced public coffers and the quicksand of high debt of the public sector.
South Africa's GDP rose by a weak 1.6% from a year ago, falling far short to compensate for the 8.3% contraction of the economy from mid-2008 to late 2009. Even this pathetic increase was distorted by the 4.6% expansion in the first Quarter of 2010, solely boosted by the mining sector (+15.4%) due to foreign demand. If the mining industry and the construction sector, which was helped by activities around the WC2010 projects and will cease in June, are subtracted from the growth figure, the economy actually continued its downward spiral, posting a continuation of the ANC induced recession. As a result the unemployment numbers will go up for another 4-6 months, especially in the northern tier states Limpopo, Mpuma-Langa, North-West, Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal. Already the ANC Government has fallen short of its trumpeted (or better, Vuvuzela-ed) goal to create 440,000 new jobs by now, bearing responsibility for the loss of nearly 600,000 jobs instead.
ANC Calls For Destruction of Cape Town Negroes take Scorched Earth campaign into Whites' Heartland
The ruling ANC's powerful Youth League has called on the youth to vandalise the City of Cape Town over what they call "poor service delivery."
"We are going to destroy everything and make the city ungovernable," ANCYL Dullah Omar region secretary Loyiso Nkohla said on Tuesday. "We are calling on all SA youth to do this [vandalise the city], especially those living in informal settlements."
Nkohla 's deputy Chumile Sali said the ANCYL was doing this to "expose those parts of the city where the (governing) DA had failed to deliver services."
On Monday, ANCYL members and community leaders led residents in the destruction of toilet enclosures the city council had erected hours earlier. They taunted Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato,DA to arrest them. "The African [coloured] people's dignity has been undermined by the DA. It is time to take action," said Sali, daftly denying that the ANCYL was promoting violence. Regional treasurer Andile Lili said the ANCYL "did not intend being violent, but was being forced to by the city." "Our complaint is based on the reality that African people residing in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, are forced to shit in full view of the public," the ANCYL delicately wrote in a paper to the ANC government.
"This satanic action by the city council is tantamount to gross human rights violations and undermines the people's right for their dignity to be protected as stipulated in section 10 of the Constitution." City officials first laughed off the inane diatribe by the black government body before realising that the ANC was serious.
(The ANCYL said that in 2007 the city built a toilet for each household in the Makhaza area which each household had to enclose itself. However, since 2008, about 50 Makhaza families had been relieving themselves in full view of the public.)
Charming! Now the ANCYL said it was unhappy with the corrugated metal sheets the city had used to build enclosures around the toilets and wanted concrete instead. Mayor Plato told the Cape Times on Monday that he had recently met with the ANCYL and community leaders and they had agreed to tell residents that open toilets would be enclosed. He said the corrugated metal sheets used to enclose them were not inferior to the material people had used to build the homes they were living in and that if people wanted to destroy new structures he would "walk away".
Authorities have warned foreigners to stay away from World Cup venues as conflict looms large, with thousands of ANC hoodlums descending on WC2010 sites to wreak havoc and a trail of destruction.
SA Coppers vs Soccer Suckers Police Get Ready for England Hooligans
Authorities in Cape Town, site of England's second match in next month's World Cup, say that's what awaits soccer hooligans in their town: tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, tasers, summary trials, cattle cars as mass holding cells - freezing temperatures guaranteed! The hope is that the advance warning will keep everyone on their best behaviour. "People might say we are treating them like cattle, but if they behave like animals then we will give no quarter," Rob Young, the police chief in Cape Town said.
England opens play in the World Cup against the United States on June 12 in Rustenburg, about 3 hours by car from Johannesburg. After that match, South Africa organizers expect many of the 50,000 to 80,000 followers of England - by far the largest delegation of any of the 31 visiting teams - to flood Cape Town ahead of the June 18 match with Algeria. And that's when the trouble could begin. To which Chief Young challenges "try us."
"The message I send to any England fans thinking about starting trouble is simple," Young told British newspapers. "We police the Third World every single day. Do you think we are intimidated by a bunch of drunken boys in football jerseys?"
British thugs are the only ones on South Africa's radar. But Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the host country's home affairs minister, said screening programmes are already in place to identify potential malicious troublemakers from Germany, Denmark and Netherlands which, along with England are the nations whose fans are expected to pose the greatest threat to the peace.
Those causing problems will be herded on to train cars specially fitted with cells - but not heat, despite the fact freezing temperatures are predicted. Held 10 prisoners to a cell, many will be tried on the spot and then transported overnight to other parts of the country.
In addition to acting as a deterrent, South African authorities concede the draconian crackdown could also prevent overcrowding in a prison system that already houses nearly 165,000 inmates in facilities designed for less than 116,000. And it will also prevent foreigners initially from being confined in prisons where HIV and gang rape are said to be common. If convicted to more than 30 days in jail, however, foreign criminals will not enjoy such preferential treatment.
In Rustenburg, near where the England team will be housed, South Africa will have two "justice buses" - mobile police stations with holding cells and on-board magistrates courts - on patrol. Suspects rounded up will be tried and could be convicted within minutes after their arrest.
South African police have also purchased 40 extra helicopters, 100 high-speed BMW police cars and large water cannons from the U.S. while the French gendarmerie have been training local police in crowd-control techniques. Undercover British police will help gauge the mood of the English trash.
But South Africa's main deterrent, Young said, will be brute force and rubber bullets. "Football hooligans might come here thinking they are tough, but we are the toughest gang in town," he said. "If you stare us down you will face plastic bullets and water cannons. If that doesn't stop you we will haul you into prison trains. "Look out the window here in Cape Town across to some of the most violent communities on earth. That is our beat, our back yard. That should tell you how tough we are."
