So today is the second game at our stadium, Italy versus New Zealand. Italy, probably being the most high-profile team coming to Nelspruit. As I am typing this, I can hear them practising playing the New Zealand national anthem, they probably also played the Italian one, but I don't know how it sounds, so I wouldn't be able to tell you!
The food poisoning scandal has come and gone and the volunteers have been getting pizza and MacDonald's for every meal, since then. Talk about over-compensating! Talking to my colleagues at the other stadiums, it has become clear that most operations are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. The cold weather has played a major part in this, but also just the general careless African attitude to life. People can't seem to get to grips with the fact that service delivery, on any level, must be up to world standards and within spec!
There are going to be parties, who will be far worse off after the tournament , than what they were before the World Cup, due to the fact that they saw this as a gravy train and not the midnight express. A quick buck has turned into bad luck and only those who actually meant business will end up keeping business. This is life and This Is Africa (TIA).
This message is not meant to be a negative report, just an observant one, on what is really going down on the streets. The people that should be benefiting are not, and those that have always been reaping rewards, are reaping even more. The case of the haves and the have nots is clear to see. The world cup was a great opportunity to spread the wealth around, but alas, it is just making the rich richer and the poor more frustrated!
Do your bit to leave a legacy after this world cup. Don't just share your opinion, but share your OPTIMISM, and don't stop there, keep sharing until you are satisfied that the world cup wasn't just about taking, but more about GIVING ...
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