Dorianne Arendse
With the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup merely a few weeks away, an investigative reporter based in the UK has said that the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) should have done more to protect the interest of ordinary South African citizens. This is according to Andrew Jennings an investigative journalist based in London. Jennings For the past nine years he has investigated the sporting body for the past ten years. He is of the opinion that FIFA was not really able to impose all the rules it has on South Africa during the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) this month launched a book entitled the Player and Referee: Conflicting Interests looks at the soccer tournament and is a national case study which looks at the issues within all host provinces as well as the challenges to their construction of their respective stadia. The case studies have been examined by six top investigative journalists.
"When you mention the word FIFA we have to have two concepts in mind. One is the mass of officials around the world who do mostly clerical work but on top of that there is a tiny super structure- Sepp Blatter who controls his 24 man executive committee and about a third of them are involved in bribery and corruption, ticket rackets and diversion of funds. Not all of them are involved in these activities," explained Jennings.
Banned
Jennings is also the only journalist to be banned by FIFA President Sepp Blatter. "Sepp Blatter banned me in April 2003, after I wrote a story in a London newspaper, disclosing that he pays himself a vast secret bonus- six figures is Swiss Francs. We never got the precise number. He banned me because I did this with a legally sworn affidavit from a former finance director.
"The evidence is perfect, Blatter pays himself money. He will never talk about what he earns. I defy any reporter anywhere in the world to actually say to Sepp Blatter and get a truthful answer- how much do you pay yourself in bonuses, expenses, car allowances and accomadation allowances", said Jennings.
Jennings said that he would like to see South African reporters gang up on Blatter when he is in the country for the soccer spectacle, so that he would be forced to reveal all of these details. He said the same day the article was published to a media statement was issued which said that Blatter would sue the London Daily Mail as well as the Jennings. To date no lawsuit has been brought against the journalist or the newspaper.
Rules
When asked about all the rules and regulations which were put in place by FIFA for the World Cup in South Africa, Jennings replied that there was a serious problem in South Africa. "FIFA would never have been allowed to get these legislations passed to have public authorities banning street vendors telling you as South Africans what you can and can't do in your own country.
"I think that you have to look at the local organizing committee and you have to be putting tough questions Danny Jordaan, Irvan Khoza and the rest of them. It would appear gentlemen that you have sold South Africa down the river. Can we talk about it please, because no other country would put up with this, Germany did not put up with this kind of repressive behavior in 2006. And if England is successful we certainly won't put up with this either", explained Jennings.
According to Jennings both the local media as well as the international media is concerned about the informal sector in South Africa which has been sidelined by the Soccer World Cup. "Of course Danny Jordaan is going to say that he has not sold South Africa down the river. Look at the evidence and make up your own minds. FIFA will make off at the end of the tournament with billions of dollars", said Jennings.
Ticketing system
He has also slammed the ticketing system which has been used by FIFA for the World Cup. "Everybody that who wanted to knew that the majority of the population sadly knows that they do not have access to computer terminals. The majority of the population does not have plastic credit cards; they do not have banking accounts. This is a well known to Jordaan and the other South African officials.
This is even known to the international media. We have visited the informal settlements, we have visited the townships and we know about economic deprivation. So why did FIFA go ahead with this insane internet ticket system. But I can tell you why because it means that they can hold an awful lot behind to sell on the black market.
When asked if he had documented proof of this he replied that it had happened in other tournaments on numerous occasions. "It always does happen. I got hold of the internal Ernst and Young audit report from 2006 Germany World Cup on a Mr. Jack Warner from Trinidad who is the FIFA Vice President getting 5400 tickets to sell on the black market. I got the report and the story is now well known."
When asked about the media accreditation and the manner in which FIFA went about accrediting various media houses in the country, Jennings replied that once again the Local Organizing Committee should be held accountable. "I think it worse in South Africa and again you have been let down by your own football leaders.
"They should be going in to fight on your behalf and say hang on how can you refuse our community. There should be at least one of our reporters in there with a microphone. They must be let into the congress to see FIFA enjoy the money they are extracting from this World Cup. I have never seen FIFA getting away with so much on a host country.
Mandela as pawn
In his research Jennings indicates that former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu were used as pawns in April 2004 by Jack Warner. "You know as well as any body else in the world that Nelson Mandela suffered over many decades for his own country, South Africa. Then when he got off Robben Island and he did that famous walk we all thought that, that was the end of him being oppressed but it was not.
"He wanted to go on struggling for his country and get the football tournament. Jack Warner forced Mandela and Tutu who were both very unwell to go to a jamboree in Trinidad so that he could show off his prisoners. I think Mandela was treated better while he was imprisoned on Robben Island," said Jennings.
"He was exhausted; he should not have being flying all that way in the first place to beg for his country. Then on the day of the vote in Zurich Warner turns up and demands more face time and Mandela just had to do as he was told," said Jennings
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