It was like a dream when Fifa president Sepp Blatter announced that the World Cup host will be South Africa! I thought I was either dreaming or didn’t hear properly.

The atmosphere confirmed to me that I heard him properly. People were shouting with joy, cars hooting and excitement everywhere. Indeed South Africa has won!

I never dreamed about the World Cup coming to Africa. People around the world were looking forward to this big event. We had big expectations, especially us as Africans and SA in particular.

Good night and allow me to dream further. Imagine one of African countries winning the World Cup? Imagine how many people came to SA!? They all descended here using different modes of transport.

Imagine how packed our stadiums were! With people from different walks of life resembling oneness.

Imagine all of them wearing their colourful gear, waving different flags of their nations as if victory is certain.

Imagine people from different religions sitting side by side in the stadiums with one mission only, to support their nations.

They all joined us in singing Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrica. We all sang, asking for the safety of our beloved Africa.

Imagine the socialists, communists and capitalists sitting together shouting, Laduumaa! Imagine the spirit of World Cup fever filling the country, everybody shouting, Bafana Bafana.

Now I am awake and the 2010 World Cup is gone. We are only left with realities, big stadiums, huge malls, and other gains from the World Cup.

The challenges we are facing here is to sustain all these developments and to maintain our target sales as workers.
Laduumaa!

By Nicholas Matlala – Tshwane local, Bosal Afrika shopsteward

Source

Numsa News No 2 2010