Posted on June 20, 2010
It is pretty hard to ignore the fact, unless you live under a rock, the madness that is coming to South Africa in June this year. The greatest sporting event in the world is coming to the African continent for the very first time since the inception of the World Cup which will be watched by billions of fans across the world. Much has been made of this fact, Africa hosting the World Cup for the very first time. There have been many pessimists who have doubted South Africa's ability to host this tournament, even though we are days away from the opening match. Despite the draconian guarantees that the government had to give to FIFA, South Africa has done an incredible job of ensuring all the infrastructure requirements have been met as prescribed by FIFA.
The man who has been in the driving seat of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr Danny Jordaan is the focus of an extraordinary exhibition - 'FIFA 2010 World Cup'Â- currently being held at the South End Museum in Port Elizabeth. The exhibition is collaboration between the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro's 2010 Directorate, South End Museum and LOC structures in Port Elizabeth. The Museum itself, was established to commemorate the multi-racial community of South End that was decimated through the forced removal of its residents by the Group Areas Act in the late 1960s. Dr Jordaan is from the Port Elizabeth, and the exhibition seeks to highlight the extraordinary role he has played in bringing the 2010 FIFA World Cup to South Africa. The display dedicated to Dr Jordaan exhibits the numerous awards and accolades that he has received including a history of his long and extensive involvement in the sport, first as a player then as an administrator. The unique feature of this exhibit is that it celebrates the outstanding achievements of one of the proud sons of the city. The exhibition seeks to chart the history of soccer and the extraordinary journey it has to taken to bring the World Cup to South Africa. It was of the very first exhibitions on soccer to be opened in the build up to the World Cup, with Port Elizabeth being one of the host cities, its location at the South End Museum is a happy marriage of shedding light on the history of a vibrant community with many global linkages as well as the role of the city in this historic moment in the life of the city.
Other elements of exhibition include 'Team Panels' organized according the group in which each country will play which includes that specific country's history at the World Cup and the country's journey to qualification for this year's tournament. There are also video screens showing the historic moment when South Africa was announced as the host country and the subsequent celebrations and on the other screen mounted on the opposite wall showing how ordinary South Africans participate in the game. There has been an effort been made to highlight the African linkages with a gallery of African footballs stars who have made a impact at previous World Cups and others that are expected to at this year's tournament. There is also a stunning aerial map of the new Port Elizabeth Stadium which forms part of the exhibition.
There have been a plethora of exhibitions across the country that have sought to highlight the linkages between the arts, heritage and sports in raising questions about the kind of societies that we all live in and how this global event impacts the lives of ordinary citizens. If there is an omission in the exhibition at the South End Museum, it's the voices of the residents of the city and what the World Cup means to them - if anything at all. Mr. Colin Abrahams, the Administrator at the Museum, has also lamented the fact that they did not get the visitors numbers that they anticipated as they have struggled to get the right kind of exposure from the local media. This is a travesty as a lot of work has gone into what is otherwise a good exhibition.
The legacy of the World Cup is of course the much touted infrastructure investment that the government has spent billions on, but what of the more intangible legacy? What are the enduring images and impressions that we want people to have of not only South Africa but Africa as a whole? The spotlight is firmly on South Africa, and by default, Africa like it has never been before in this modern age and there have been criticisms that not enough is being done to make the sure the '˜right' image is and will be projected during the World Cup. It remains to be seen what kind of story about Africa will be told through the opening and closing ceremonies, but it is crucial amidst the fanfare of the World Cup that compelling histories about Africa are inserted in the cacophony of the vuvuzela as is being done at the South End Museum.
Uthando Baduza is a AP Correspondent and FET Project Co-ordinator at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Uuniversity . He writes in his personal capacity.