FIFA World Cup 2010 in Souh Africa!

On a brighter, more positive note, South Africa will be holding the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, and the buzz is swirling around with maximum excitement. Such a positive event is extremely beneficial to the well being of the entire continent. Africa has seen its fair share of crisis, thus the fact that South Africa will be holding one the largest sporting events in the world is great news. Between June 11 and July 11, 2010, South Africa will be the center attention of the entire world. This is a great opportunity for South Africa to showcase to the world its capabilites and its culture. There are many benefits to hosting the FIFA world cup. According to consulting firm Grant Thornton, the World Cup will pump around R21.3-billion into South Africa's economy, generating an estimated R12.7-billion in direct spending and creating an estimated 159 000 new jobs. Furthermore, such a sporting event will bring in an estimated three million visitors, which will directly boost up the tourism industry (economy). To witness such a wonderful event take place in Africa is a breath of fresh air. Africa has constantly been in the headlines, yet the headlines are usually regarding negative issues such as poverty, government corruption, HIV/AIDS, etc. Hosting the world cup will directly positively impact not only South Africa, but it will uplift the spitits of all Africans and the world will witness it firsthand. With only a couple months to go, South Africa is focusing on preperations for the games. They are currently working on building and renovating football stadiums. There will be a total of 10 stadiums, 5 are undergoing major renovations for 2010: Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg in North West province, and Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein in the Free State, and 5 others are being built:Mbombela in Mpumalanga and in the Nelson Mandela Metro (encompassing Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape. In addition to preparations, South Africa is working on improving public transportation and the safety and secuirty of the country. There is much to be done in time for the games, but one thing is for sure, bringing the FIFA world cup to South Africa will be revoltionary for not only the country but the entire continent's reputation in the world. Let the count down begin!

The Many Faces of South Africa

Africa is a continent dominated by generalizations and stereotypes. It is a shame that the image of such a beautiful land, rich in history and culture has been consumed by poverty and disaster which tragically exist across the continent. The true beauty of South Africa is the diversity that exists within the country. It is a nation of more than 50 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. With such high diversity rates it is often referred to as the 'rainbow nation'. Of the 45 million South Africans, nearly 31 million are Black, 5 million White, 3 million Coloured(the term "colored" is still used for the people of mixed race descended from slaves brought in from East and Central Africa) and one million Indian. The constitution recognizes eleven official languages, along with eight unofficial languages. Furthermore, the country also has a wide mix of religions that accept the wide array of diverse people living within the country.
Although the diversity in the country should be celebrated, it unfortunately presents many confrontations between races. The history of the confrontation goes back to landing of the Dutch in 1652 and the colonization that occured by the British in 1806. Although this occured hundreds of years ago, the country is presently a representation of the after effects of its history. To date, the country struggles to find a balanced equality between its people. For example, Statistics South Africa reported that in 1995 the average white household earned four times as much as the average black household. Although an older statistic, it repersents the poor and inequal living standard in South Africa. As time moderinizes, it is imagined that over time the statistic would decrease. Yet surprisingly, in 2000 the inequality increased as the average white household was now earning six times more than the average black household. Such a statistic demonstrates the prominent inequality within the races. Although South Africa does possess a wide array of diversity, the country must work on accepting and celebrating human equality. If this is achieved, South Africa will serve as a positive example for the rest of the African countries, leading the way to a hopefully brighter future.