Divided South Africa to present a united front

On 4th April, South African white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche was murdered on his farm by two young black workers, reopening race wounds in South Africa only two months before they host one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the FIFA World Cup. The idea that South Africa is now a “Rainbow Nation” is a myth. According to a survey released by the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation last year, 39 percent of South Africans find people of other races “untrustworthy” and 51 percent thought race relations had got worse since the 1994 election that bought Nelson Mandela into power. All eyes will be on South Africa come the 11th June as they attempt to prove to the world they are capable of showcasing a massive multicultural event without any problems. The country will undoubtedly enjoy economic benefits from hosting the competition, as a tourist infrastructure is put in place. But will South Africa also benefit culturally from hosting the tournament and, with the eyes of the world on them, can they portray themselves as a nation that has forgotten the old days of apartheid and prejudice?

Sport has the ability to unify diverse people under a common goal. When France hosted the 1998 World Cup, the country was riddled with a xenophobic undercurrent. The French team itself, which included many players from immigrant backgrounds, was attacked by right wing politicians, most notably, Jean-Marie Le Pen. However, as we all know, France went on to win that tournament with Zinedine Zidane, of Algerian dissent, their star player. That tournament ultimately united the French people and relationships between French citizens and French immigrants improved. After winning the final, the streets of Paris were awash with people from all backgrounds celebrating with each other amid cries of “Black, Blanc, Beur” (Black, White, North Africans). By winning that tournament, the football team did more to heal racial divides in the country than any government could have done.

{[ quote Sport has the ability to unify diverse people under a common goal, as when France hosted the 1998 World Cup }}

South Africa themselves are no strangers to the unifying agent of sport. Recently highlighted by Clint Eastwood’s film Invictus, the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup will now be familiar to lots of people. Hosted in South Africa only a year after Mandela’s presidential election win, the country united around a team that against the odds went on to win the tournament. Rugby, previously a sport dominated by the white community, became emblematic of how the two previously divided societies in South Africa could work together.

Although there is no realistic chance South Africa will get close to winning the World Cup, (they were unable to even qualify for this year’s African Cup of Nations), there is still a hope that the tournament will again unify the country under a common aim to portray itself to the rest of the world in the healthiest light. They have a massive opportunity to reverse stereotyped perceptions of themselves as a nation still haunted by racial tensions. Recognising this, President Jacob Zuma called for calm after the murder of Terreblanche, as South Africa prepares to show the world how far they’ve come. In June, the country will aim to showcase its own culture to the world, hopefully incorporating aspects of both the white and the black communities. The desire to put on a cultural display that represents their country will hopefully unite many South Africans. The world will be looking on, quick to pounce on any signs of racial tension. Hopefully the tournament will only help further relations between the two communities.