posted Apr 16, 2010

I was just back there for a wedding and stayed at a hotel in Cape Town.
I obviously forgot how bad Africa is, they stole my shaver, a tie and two sets of underwear....UNDERWEAR? who steals that?

Nothing has changed.

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posted Apr 16, 2010

No Lynn, its pathetic to comment on something you know very little and it is the biggest sport in the world by far! so maybe it is your inability to see the art, athletics, dedication and beauty of the sport, which is pathetic! p.s lets hope your not one of those who thinks keeping up with Eastenders and celebrity programmes is far more important! that would make your statement even more pathetic!

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posted Apr 16, 2010

I resent the implication from some posters on here that you're not a full member of the human race unless you're a fan of football. I would argue quite the reverse.

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posted Apr 16, 2010

Unsafe suggests that we around here are robbed left right and center. I've been in 22 countries and everywhere I was told not to walk in unsafe areas.

As for the soccer I hope it is a success and I will watch a few games.

As for FIFA, it's doing nothing for those that are not already rich. The poor traders were excluded from benefiting from the event.

SHAME ON FIFA

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posted Apr 16, 2010

I would say the lack of ticket sales have more to do with the fact airlines, hotels, car hire companies, caravan parks, dog homes, cat homes, paper shops, non paper shops.... Have all inflated their prices by 4.6 billion % and no one can afford to get there.

Greed is the cause of low ticket sales, and I hope these businesses suffer for that.

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posted Apr 16, 2010

no i have bought a world cup ticket. however i hope that england wins the world cup come on england!!!!!!

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posted Apr 16, 2010

comment by wesFROMsouthafrica (U14414444)
posted Yesterday

... once the world cup is under way, you'll see and realise its going to be one of the most (if not the most) special WC. To hell with "helping the country move forward" this is just another chance for RSA to prove that even a 3rd world country can run a majestic competition.]

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And of course, none of that is arrogant, is it?

I'll be watching on the telly. I have no wish to subject myself to the dangers of the rape capital of the world.

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posted Apr 17, 2010

Not long ago there were riots in SA because promised schools were not built as part of local deals to build football world cup stadiums.

Due to not being a rich nation with a huge unsustainable population and much poverty and attrocios crime, these places are already suffering from poor housing and mainly have a small number of community buildings providing services and benefits to local people.

The result of recession delayed building promised schools. The result was that local people in their anger and frustration went around and destroyed what little few government and community buildings there were.

As so often happens in Africa, not just SA, disturbances result in destruction of what little they have, hence they continually step backwards then complain about having little or nothing.

I know people in SA, their homes look more like prisons because of the security needed to protect them from animalistic criminality which permeates every part and area of South Africa, & not just the poorest areas.

South Africa is like a permanent war zone, being passed off as a decent place. In last 6 year recordable statistics by the UN, there are many more thousands of people being murdered in South Africa than were killed in Iraq during its worst violent period. The rape statistics are even worse.

Due to the mentality of a large part of South Africas population, the criminal part, which is so attrociously inhumane and violent, I would not go there apart and unless I was first provided with an armoured vehicle.

There are huge numbers of criminals in South africa who solely see the World cup as an opportunity for self gain via criminal behaviour.
As much as SA government and police say they can control the criminal element, this is totally a non-reality as factual evidence of their position and failure to control many areas of the country.

South Africa is run by a man who once had a shower after unprotected sex with a woman, to ensure he did not catch HIV/AIDS.

Is it no wonder South Africa is in sucha state with such people being elected to office. Upon election to office the first thing many of his government did was to go out and purchase expensive Mercedes.

Although I hope and wish for a prosperous SA World Cup, I think much crime, especially against foreign football fans and tourists, will be deceitfully manipulated/hidden to enable and provide a positive propaganda image.

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posted Apr 24, 2010

I've just got back from a trip to South Africa, and I would say to any England fan thinking of going - don't.

Cape Town is OK, but Johannesburg is just plain dangerous. You don't see white people on the streets - they live in compounds or behind high walls protected by razor wire and 'armed response' security signs. A white farmer is murdered almost every day and there are around 25,000 murders a year - the rapes are much higher.

Sure, much of this goes on in the townships, but whites are increasingly being targeted. The cops cannot be trusted. Municipal workers are on strike and the rubbish has been rotting in the streets of Joburg for two weeks now (I saw a cow's skull and skeleton just 100 metres from company's offices). I fear for the country.

If you do go, take utmost care, drive with your doors locked and don't go out at night (Cape Town excepted maybe). Book through a registered mini cab service rather than hailing cabs from the street (or the airport even).

I hope I'm wrong, as there are lots of lovely people in South Africa, but I don't think the country should have been given the World Cup.

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posted Apr 26, 2010

south london red, what part of johannesburg were you staying in?

I've been to soweto, and right the way through the witwaterstrand to the north suburbs, daytime/nighttime/dawntime.

Nothing has ever happened to me.

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