Mandela wows fans ahead of World Cup final

July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Nelson Mandela attended the opening of Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Netherlands, thrilling fans and capping South Africa’s pride in staging a successful tournament.

Mandela, 91, who is in frail health, waved as he briefly toured the pitch in a golf cart surrounded by bodyguards. He was given an ecstatic welcome by the crowd chanting his clan name Madiba and blowing vuvuzela trumpets.

FIFA had said it hoped Mandela would attend but the former South Africa president, who celebrates his birthday on July 18, rarely appears in public and his grandson Mandla Mandela hinted the Nobel peace price winner would not attend the entire match.

“He’s going to rest and try and get some energy for tonight,” Mandla Mandela told Reuters ahead of the match, due to start at 1830 GMT at Soccer City on the edge of the sprawling black township of Soweto.

“He has expressed that he is coming to the stadium to come and greet the fans and go back home.”

Mandela missed the opening match of the tournament a month ago after his great-granddaughter died in a car accident.

South Africa’s military health service said Mandela’s visit was made possible after it had close consultations with his family and FIFA, world soccer’s governing body.

“At no stage was the health of Dr Mandela compromised and… members of the SA Military Health Service (were) on hand to ensure the wellbeing of Dr Mandela,” it said in a statement.

The presence of Mandela, revered globally for his role in fighting apartheid and leading his country to democracy, adds to South African joy at successfully hosting the first World Cup on the continent.

National team Bafana Bafana bowed out of the tournament at the first round stage but President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday the relatively smooth hosting of the finals made its people the champions.

Skeptics had doubted Africa’s economic powerhouse could organize the World Cup, including completing construction of stadiums on time.

While some tourists have been robbed, the world’s biggest sporting event has taken place largely peacefully, confounding fears of attacks on foreigners in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of violent crime outside a war zone.

(Additional reporting by Barry Moody; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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South African leaders urge continued passion for cup

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – South African leaders, concerned that flagging African fortunes will undermine interest in the continent’s first World Cup, are urging the population to stick with the tournament even if their side is eliminated.

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FIFA and local organizers have long been concerned that South Africa’s early elimination, which now looks inevitable, would reduce not only the crowds and passion but also dilute the unifying effect of the tournament in a country still torn by racial and social divisions.

South Africa’s slim chances of avoiding the ignominy of being the first host nation eliminated in the first round depend on a big win over France on Tuesday.

This looks unlikely based on their uninspiring form, even though France, winners in 1998 and runners up in 2006, are themselves torn by bickering and dissent.

Even the Bafana Bafana players now seem resigned to defeat and are concentrating on going out with honor.

South Africans are, however, likely to have few other African teams, if any, to support in the second round.

Cameroon were the first team eliminated from the World Cup after defeat by Denmark on Saturday night and Ghana is the only team to have won so far in the tournament.

Some of the coldest winter weather on record and the disappointing African results have already left fan parks virtually empty in many places.

South African leaders issued statements emphasizing that the country will have scored a major success even if their team is eliminated because of the kudos and economic impact of hosting the continent’s first edition of the tournament.

“The success of the World Cup is our success. As a country and as a continent, we have already won….no one can take that feeling and pride away from us,” said President Jacob Zuma.

SUPPORT UNTIL THE END

Chief local organizer Danny Jordaan said he was confident South Africans would “continue to support the World Cup until the end.”

Business leaders canvassed by South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper also called for continued support and emphasized the economic benefits of hosting the tournament, primarily through future investment, tourism and the boosting of infrastructure.

The paper quoted Jabu Mabuza, executive chairman of the big Southern Sun hotel chain, as telling his staff: “In reality, we in our heart of hearts would never have expected to win the World Cup and hence lets celebrate not the result but rather what the World Cup means for all of us.”

“Even if we as a country don’t go through to the next round, we have so much to celebrate,” he said.

Analysts say the World Cup has already united the races in South Africa in a wave of nationalism that swept the country in the weeks before the tournament began on June 11.

This event has been compared to the 1995 rugby World Cup when Nelson Mandela wore a Springbok shirt in a masterful political gesture that reassured whites still nervous one year after the end of apartheid, when civil war still seemed possible.

But the Springboks won that year, in contrast to Bafana Bafana’s poor performance in this much bigger event.

In any case, although analysts believe pride over hosting the tournament successfully despite a sea of negative reporting beforehand will be a unifying factor, they say this will be a temporary phenomenon as it was in 1995.

Only major progress in reducing the army of poor and unemployed and the correction of some of the world’s greatest wealth disparities will really unite this troubled nation, and that could take years, not a month-long sports event, they say.

(Editing by Ossian Shine)

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Forget The Robot, The Dive; It’s time to Diski

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Forget famous goal celebrations such as “The Robot” by Peter Crouch and “The Dive” by Juergen Klinsmann, here comes the South African “Diski dance.”

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The Diski dance, which is performed through heading and kicking an imaginary ball, may be a goal celebration to watch in this World Cup.

South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala and his team mates displayed this distinctive dance when they celebrated his goal against Mexico in the opening World Cup game on Friday.

The dance is already popular on YouTube and many soccer fans may want to learn the moves.

For a video click on http:///www.youtube.com./watch?v=fML326GXJPY

Even South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has learnt the Diski dance which could surpass Cameroon Roger Milla’s iconic corner flag dance celebration in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

U.S. actor John Travolta performed the dance shortly after landing his Boeing 707 at Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.

Goal celebrations are now part of the biggest sporting event and players plan them in advance just in case they find the back of the net.

The Robot goal celebration was so popular that England fans were dismayed when Crouch declared he “wouldn’t be doing it any more unless England won the World Cup.”

Another popular celebration is “The Snort” by Robbie Fowler reacting to claims that he was a cocaine addict by sniffing imaginary cocaine off the lines on the pitch.

The word Diski is a township slang for soccer and may also describe the local style of football which focuses on dribbling and other tricks.

(Editing by Nigel Hunt)

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ANALYSIS-Soccer-World-Can World Cup bring races closer?

June 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

JOHANNESBURG – There is one big question hanging over the World Cup which will not be settled on the pitch — can soccer’s greatest tournament bring South Africa’s races closer 16 years after the end of apartheid?

The short answer is it already has.

South Africans, accused a year ago of not being enthusiastic enough about Africa’s first World Cup, have been whipped up into a patriotic frenzy in recent weeks.

This culminated on Wednesday in an extraordinary dancing, trumpet-blowing party in Johannesburg where some of the multi-racial crowd had tears rolling down their cheeks.

“Look at these crowds. This is what reconciliation is all about,” said Simon Muthelo. His sentiments were echoed in dozens of calls to radio phone-in programmes from proud South Africans.

Officials from President Jacob Zuma to local organising chief Danny Jordaan, the great visionary who brought the tournament to this country, have said the World Cup is comparable or even more significant than the 1994 elections that ended apartheid.

Many like Jordaan believe that Friday’s kickoff in the huge Soccer City stadium and the month that follows will be a time that exceeds even the unforgettable moment in 1995 when Nelson Mandela wore a Springbok rugby shirt to present the World Rugby Cup to South Africa.

This stroke of political genius won the hearts of rugby-mad whites at a time when civil war was still a threat.

The recent rush of racial reconciliation accelerated last month when diehard Afrikaner rugby fans came to Soweto, historic heart of the anti-apartheid struggle, for the Super 14 final.

RACIAL TENSIONS
But beneath the euphoria over South Africa’s success in organising Africa’s first World Cup, realists say deep racial tensions cannot be dissolved by a month’s soccer spectacular.

“In South Africa we have had a history of racial conflict for 350 years and we have only had a democratic government for 16 years. This is not a process that happens overnight. It is a long process,” said Marius Roodt of the South African Institute of Race Relations.

Only major structural social and economic changes will finally make the Rainbow Nation a harmonious and permanent reality in a country which has some of the greatest wealth disparities on earth, analysts say.

Gareth Mewham, of the Institute of Security Studies, said the impact of the World Cup would be longer lasting than 1995 and many South Africans were overcome with pride that they had confounded sceptics who said they could not organise the event.

“But serious social problems won’t go away overnight. They will continue to confront us after the World Cup … I don’t think sport itself can ever have anything more than a short term role in bringing people across deep divisions,” he told Reuters.

“The real issues really have to do with the extent to which we deal with poverty and unemployment. That is going to be the thing that really brings us together as a nation or keeps us apart,” he told Reuters.

Roodt agrees. “It will definitely bring the races together a bit quicker than would have been without the World Cup, but it is not like we are going to be living in some non-racial paradise after July 11.”

Another analyst, Ebrahim Fakir of the Electoral Institute of South Africa, added:
“I am still of the view that like the Rugby World Cup, this is going to be ephemeral. Of course, you are going to have spontaneous outpourings of unity and cohesion but the real problem in South Africa is a structural problem … it will take a generation for us to feel the real effects of this kind of cohesion.”

Fakir pointed out that about half of the 480,000 jobs created to build World Cup infrastructure will disappear after the tournament, adding possibly thousands of more people to the army of unemployed who are the main source of discontent and crime.

He said the squabbling politicians inside the ruling ANC will lose the national co-operation that united them behind the World Cup and will have to answer a difficult question.

Why has the energy and cohesion that delivered the World Cup on time not been directed at South Africa’s myriad problems ranging from AIDS to poverty, which have recently caused a string of township riots?

(Editing by Jon Bramley)

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Technology would be a passion killer – Blatter

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Using technology in soccer will only serve to damage the passion and emotion felt for the sport, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Sunday.

Soccer’s world governing body continues to resist using technology to aid decisions on controversial incidents during matches, including helping referee’s to judge whether a ball has crossed the goal line.

Blatter said the sport should keep its human element, allowing everyone to have their say.

“When you are in a football match there is no social level, everybody is the same and everybody in the stadium and at their television is an expert,” he said at a media briefing with South African President Jacob Zuma ahead of the start of the World Cup on Friday.

“Everybody is an expert and that is why we are not going into technology on the field of play, because if you have technology on the field of play, then there are no more experts.”

Soccer’s rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), in March voted against using technology to decide if the ball crosses the goal line in cases where it does not touch the net.

Blatter believed science would destroy the passion that made the sport special.

“Then the science is coming in the game, no discussions … we don’t want that. We want to have these emotions, and then a little bit more than emotions, passion.”

South Africa hosts the world’s most watched sporting event from June 11-July 11.

(Reporting by Gordon Bell; Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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World Cup is uniting South Africa, says Zuma

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The soccer World Cup is uniting South Africa, much like the 1995 world rugby victory helped break down racial barriers, and it will leave a legacy for decades to come, President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday.

South Africa becomes the first African nation to host the world’s most watched tournament from Friday.

“The enthusiasm, joy and excitement that has engulfed the entire nation in recent weeks has not been witnessed since President Nelson Mandela was released from prison (in 1990),” Zuma said at a press briefing.

“This explosion of national pride is a priceless benefit of the World Cup tournament.”

Mandela led South Africa out of apartheid in 1994 but remains divided in many respects with most of the country’s wealth still in the hands of the white minority and some communities still split along racial lines.

Officials hope the tournament will have the same effect as the image of Mandela — who spent 27 years in jail under apartheid — did when he famously handed over the rugby World Cup trophy to captain Francois Pienaar in 1995 wearing his Springbok jersey.

‘NEVER SEEN’

Rugby has traditionally been a white sport in South Africa, while soccer is followed fervently by the black majority.

Zuma said the enthusiasm for the June 11-July 11 tournament reminded him of that day.

“Building up to the tournament we have seen something that we have never seen before,” he said, referring to thousands of people wearing shirts of the national side Bafana Bafana and flying flags from their cars and at homes.

A survey of 1,000 South Africans, conducted for soccer governing body FIFA and released on Saturday, showed that 92 percent are proud of the country hosting the tournament, and 86 percent believe it will be a success.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the World Cup would leave a legacy for the whole continent, which was still being sidelined by richer nations, through football development and education projects.

Both Blatter and Zuma said they hoped Mandela would attend the opening ceremony and first match on Friday. Mandela turns 92 next month and is increasingly frail.

His office will not confirm he will attend and some observers say he is not well enough to be at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium for the match between South Africa and Mexico.

“Firstly, I think we all know former president Mandela has aged and for any aged person the manner in which you carry yourself has changed,” Zuma said, when asked if the Nobel Peace Prize winner would be there.

“That is a decision for President Mandela to make … if he is there it will be a bonus for this tournament. Indeed, we wish he will be there.”

(Reporting by Gordon Bell, editing by Jon Bramley)

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Didigiri hits Karat, is Yechury next Red boss?

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) ‘Didigiri’ appears set to shatter the ‘dadagiri’ of the Red bosses after the battering they got from Cyclone Mamata in the West Bengal civic polls. The buzz is that CPI-M top man Prakash Karat is seriously thinking of handing over the baton to Sitaram Yechury.

Party insiders say although he still enjoys the full backing of the party’s Kerala state committee, West Bengal leaders are not happy with him for severing all ties with the Congress over the India-US nuclear deal. Unlike Karat’s Stalinist hardline, Yechury’s pragmatism is seen widely as his plus point. They believe the party could re-build a bridge with the Congress under Yechury’s leadership.

A section in the party believes a change in the CPI-M leadership may take place later this year before the assembly polls in West Bengal and Kerala next year.

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Newsmakers in Shanghai!

Presidential visits have a knack for making news for all the wrong reasons. And so it was when two Indian journalists from prominent TV channels got into a drunken brawl in Shanghai during President Pratibha Patil’s visit to China.

The news spread like ‘wildfire’, the delegates travelling with the president got to know about it within minutes. For the Indian embassy, it was most embarrassing, as it was made clear to everyone, including the scribes, that the Chinese regard drunkenness with extreme distaste.

‘If it had been some official in the president’s delegation, the media would have flashed it as breaking news,’ said one senior official.

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Zuma’s ode to Indian food

‘Time is the biggest enemy to what we want to achieve here in India,’ South African President Jacob Zuma told the captains of Indian industry. ‘Especially for eating!’ he added after a pause, triggering ripples of laughter across the Durbar hall in Taj Palace hotel.

‘Those who are not from Durban, it is too much… But for those from Durban, with the hot curry, we feel at home,’ he said.

Zuma, a fan of Hindi films, also expressed his love for things Indian during a press appearance with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ‘I enjoyed the music and the food. We are at home in India,’ said Zuma, adding he and his delegation did not feel like leaving.

Zuma’s hometown is Durban, the third largest South African city, which also hosts the country’s largest Indian population.

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Scandal back home

While South African President Jacob Zuma’s state visit here received a fairly good press in India, back home, it was overshadowed by a scandal involving his second wife Nompumelelo Ntuli who had accompanied him on the trip.

Newspapers in South Africa carried reports of alleged improprieties by First Lady Ntuli, as noted in an anonymous letter faxed to media houses. This led the President’s Office to issue a terse denial Friday, saying the reports were part of an ‘ongoing and malicious campaign to undermine the right of the president and his family to privacy and dignity’.

‘He will not dignify such gossip with a response,’ said the note.

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What’s between Congress, Paswan?

Guess what comes between the Congress and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan? The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad.

The Congress is not likely to support any candidate in the ensuing elections to the Rajya Sabha from the state. And Paswan is doing exactly that with RJD’s help.

The Congress has 10 MLAs in the state and state leaders say a directive will be issued to party MLAs to abstain from voting. State Congress leaders are up against any tie-up with the RJD – they even prevailed upon central leaders against any attempts at government formation in Jharkhand with Lalu Prasad’s RJD.

But if Paswan distances himself from Lalu after getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, there is always the possibility of a tie-up, say Congress leaders.

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Jairam misses Environment Day function

Guess who missed the World Environment Day function at Vigyan Bhavan Saturday? Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Ramesh could not make it to the ceremony as he was in Andhra Pradesh with work related to his Rajya Sabha nomination. While invitation cards read that Ramesh would preside over the function, the ministry asked Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed to take over at the last moment.

‘I am here as a substitute for the un-substitutable Jairam Ramesh,’ said Khursheed who read out a record of work done by the environment ministry in past year.

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Tytler’s unending woes

Nothing seems to be working out for Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, the man who until recently was supposed to shepherd the Congress’ comeback trail in poll-bound Bihar.

Barely a year after he was given a chance to rehabilitate himself – having been denied a Lok Sabha ticket in the wake of fierce opposition to his candidature by Sikh groups – he is once again in the wilderness.

The party central leadership removed him as incharge of the state earlier this week for his apparent failure to check factionalism in the state party unit. The story goes that Tytler developed differences with his protege Anil Kumar Sharma, who too was removed last week as the party’s Bihar unit president.

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Tech savvy Bollywood divas

Who says technology is a thing for the guys? Bollywood divas are slowly taking over that domain. While Bipasha Basu appeared in a trimmer-than-ever avatar to endorse a cellphone company and tomtommed her soon-to-join micro blogging site Twitter, another diva Neha Dhupia beat the likes of willow wielder VVS Laxman in an online gaming competition.

Another beauty Priyanka Chopra, a regular at Twitter, couldn’t help but go gaga over her inseparable association with her new prized possession – the Apple iPad. Well if these maidens are set to conquer the wired world, how do boys have all the fun?

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India, South Africa sign three bilateral agreements

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): South African President Jacob Zuma met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday and the duo signed three bilateral agreements to give a fresh boost to economic, trade and investment relationships.

During their meeting, the two leaders held talks on a wide range of bilateral and global issues.

“Our strategic partnership with South Africa is based on mutuality of interests, common aspirations and close mutual understanding. Today, President Zuma and I have decided to impart a fresh, forward-looking character to these ties and to further broaden our co-operation,” said Dr Singh.

The two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation, an air services pact and an MoU between the Foreign Service Institute of India and the Diplomatic Academy of South Africa.

Dr Singh further said that the two countries would also diversify cooperation in the area of science and technology, agriculture, Human Resources Development and security.

“India remains willing to work with South Africa in addressing the sheer challenges of capacity building, skill development, jobs creation and combating disease, which are essential for achieving inclusive, balanced growth,” he added.

The visiting President expressed his gratitude towards India”s hospitality and concluded the discussions to be fruitful.

“We have had a very fruitful discussion. We have discussed very critical strategic issues as well as our issues with regard to global issues and bilateral issues,” said President Zuma.

The two leaders also decided to support each other”s candidature for rotating non-permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council for 2011-12.

“We have agreed to support each others candidature for the non-permanent seat of the Security Council for the 2011-2012 term,” said Dr Singh.

The South African President, who is on his first official trip to Asia, arrived in New Delhi from Mumbai on Thursday.

He is accompanied by a high profile business delegation to promote and strengthen the historical and business ties between both countries. (ANI)

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South African President meets President Patil

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): South African President Jacob Zuma, who is on a three-day visit to India, met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil here on Friday.

The visiting President was accorded a ceremonial welcome with a guard of honour presented by the personnel of Indian defence forces in the presence of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and President Patil.

Addressing the media, President Zuma said the aim of his visit was to strengthen relations between the two countries.

“Well firstly to strengthen our relations as two countries. We do have very cordial and historic relations between India and South Africa,” he said.

President Zuma also visited Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, where he paid floral tribute.

The South African President, who is on his first official trip to Asia, arrived in New Delhi from Mumbai on Thursday.

He is accompanied by a high profile business delegation to promote and strengthen the historical and business ties between both countries. (ANI)

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India, South Africa to work closely in international forums: Manmohan Singh

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Friday said both India and South Africa have agreed to intensify coordination between the two countries and work closely in several international forums such as the United Nations, Non-aligned Movement, Commonwealth, WTO, G-20, the IBSA and BASIC groupings.

“We will step up our efforts for the reform of global institutions of governance, including of the United Nations Security Council. We have agreed to support each other”s candidatures for the non-permanent seat for the 2011-2012 term,” said Dr Singh.

“Our strategic partnership with South Africa is based on a mutuality of interests, common aspirations and close mutual understanding,” he added.

The Prime Minister said South Africa has become one of the most significant economic partners for India in Africa, and added that both countries have decided to impart a forward-looking character to these ties, and to further broadbase their cooperation.

“We have agreed to focus on the expansion of our economic, trade and investment relationship. Our economies have come of age. A growing number of companies are investing in each other”s countries, and South Africa has become one of the most significant economic partners for India in Africa,” said Dr Singh.

“We have also decided to provide fresh impetus to our cooperation in the areas of science and technology, agriculture, human resource development, people to people exchanges and security,” he added.

Dr Singh said India remains willing to work with South Africa in addressing the shared challenges of capacity-building, skill development, job creation and combating disease, which are essential for achieving inclusive growth.

Welcoming South African President Jacob Zuma, Dr Singh said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome His Excellency President Jacob Zuma on his first State Visit to India. We are honoured by the fact that President Zuma has chosen India as his first destination in Asia.”
Dr Singh further said the links between India and South Africa are rooted in history.

“We can never forget that South Africa was the land of the awakening of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, for which we owe a deep debt of gratitude to its people,” he said.

“President Zuma has led South Africa with great distinction in the last one year. South Africa plays an influential role in world affairs. Its voice is heard with respect not only in Africa, but also on all major global issues,” added Dr Singh.

The Prime Minister also conveyed his best wishes to South Africa that will host the Football World Cup.

South African President Jacob Zuma, who is on a three-day visit to India, is accompanied by a high profile business delegation to promote and strengthen the historical ties between the two countries. (ANI)

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France’s Sarkozy hopes Africa won’t strike twice

June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

France (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday he hoped South Africa would not humiliate the France team at next month’s soccer World Cup as fellow Africans Senegal did in 2002.

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France and hosts South Africa will meet in Bloemfontein in what could be a deciding match in Group A qualifying at the tournament which kicks off on June 11.

“Dear Jacob, I hope the Bafana Bafana will on June 22 be more accommodating with the French team than the Lions of Teranga were in 2002,” Sarkozy said in his dinner toast to about 40 African leaders at the 25th Africa-France summit.

Addressing South African President Jacob Zuma, Sarkozy was referring to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan when then holders France lost to Senegal in their opening game and ultimately went out early in the competition.

France, who also made a group-stage exit from Euro 2008 and have kept frustrating their fans with uninspired performances since, still have work to do if they are to make an impact at the World Cup after managing just a draw with Tunisia on Sunday.

Earlier on Monday, Zuma diplomatically told reporters he hoped South Africa would squeeze a draw out of the France.

France will now fly to the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion to play China on Friday in their final warm-up for the June 11-July 11 finals in South Africa, where they will face the the hosts, Uruguay and Mexico.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sophie Taylor and Sonia Oxley; To comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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South African president to discuss business in Bollywood

May 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, May 29 — South African President, Jacob Zuma, will make his first visit to India from June 2 to 5. The African National Congress leader along with seven cabinet ministers and a large business delegation will land in Mumbai and then proceed to New Delhi on June 4. Apart from diplomatic ties, key areas of interest for the delegation include auto industry, energy and infrastructure, pharma and tourism. “Both countries enjoy strong historical ties, which have translated into firm political commitment. We hope to strategise the synergies further,” said Busisiwe Faith Kuzwayo, South African counsel general in Mumbai. Bollywood is a prime concern too as a slew of films shot on South African locations (such as the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Race) have not only brought in business but also showcased the country as a holiday destination. In Mumbai, Zuma (68) and his wife Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma (35) will stay at the Taj Mahal hotel, which opened a hotel in Cape Town earlier this year.

Already 2,500 Indians have bought packages for the soccer World Cup, which begins on June 11 in South Africa. “This will be the President’s last international visit before the World Cup. We are sharing our humanity. We are ready,” added Kuzawayo.

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ANALYSIS – South Africa’s troubled Zuma faces new battles

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The not-so-private life of President Jacob Zuma, a war in South Africa’s ruling party and policy vagueness are raising questions over his leadership a year into office and stirring a barely hidden succession battle.

While the World Cup may prove a welcome distraction next month, politicking could undermine economic policy stability and make it even harder to address the growing grievances of restive black townships 16 years after the end of apartheid.

There is no suggestion yet that Zuma will not serve out his full term until 2013, but his chances of a second have certainly diminished just over two years away from the leadership contest in the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The battle within the ruling alliance involves the Communist Party and labour federation COSATU, which supported Zuma for the presidency but are disappointed at his failure to change economic policies to give greater benefit to the poor.

Although Zuma has appointed left-wingers to cabinet, overall policy is little different from under his pro-business predecessor, Thabo Mbeki — a fact not lost on markets.

The rand weakened after Zuma became ANC leader in 2007, with investors fearing a radical policy shift, but the currency strengthened after he took office until the eurozone crisis drove money from riskier assets globally.

Although there was no big policy change, investors are still unsure how Zuma can meet promises of better lives for the poor given very modest growth since South Africa emerged from its first recession in 17 years in the third quarter of last year.

“Investors would rather see a much deeper reform of the expenditure and reprioritising, combined with greater competitiveness reform, but a path of tax hikes and greater spending may well be the least worst option,” said Peter Attard Montalto, emerging market economist at Nomura International.

PRIVATE LIFE

It is the affable Zuma’s private life, however, that has most shaken those nearest the president.

In January, he defended his fifth marriage as normal for a practicing Zulu polygamist but then had to deal with revelations he had a 20th child out of wedlock with a friend’s daughter.

Zuma’s camp was caught unawares as South Africans of all races criticised his actions. It also undermined the government’s safe sex campaign to tackle one of the world’s highest HIV/AIDS rates.

“He is not good for the ANC’s image. Many in the party realise that they have backed the wrong horse,” said one senior ANC official, a former ardent supporter who said he was now becoming frustrated with the president’s lack of direction.

The party that liberated South Africa from decades of white minority rule elects a new leader in 2012, and Communist Party chief Blade Nzimande — now higher education minister — and COSATU head Zwelinzima Vavi appear to be lining up for a bid.

Other candidates for the ANC leadership — and by implication the next South African president — could include Tokyo Sexwale, a billionaire businessman who is now housing minister in Zuma’s cabinet.

With the most money, Sexwale is in the best position to put up a formidable campaign but he lacks the crucial support from the ANC’s left leaning allies.

CONCESSIONS POSSIBLE

“Zuma is likely to try and fight for another term and may well be forced to give up more in terms of policy to the left in order to do so,” Attard Montalto said.

Zuma can no longer count on the unconditional support of ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, recently critical of Zuma and fined by the party this month after inflammatory and racially tinged comments. He leads a bloc of 600,000 card carrying members who are often seen as kingmakers in party elections.

But despite having a bad year, political analysts said Zuma’s support base among the millions of poor and the ANC’s top brass should not be underestimated.

“He will go through for a second term,” said Mohau Pheko of consulting company Four Rivers. “The party is so divided now that he has become the only uniting force. Backing another candidate could only further destabilise the ANC.”

Whatever the outcome of the tussle for control, it can only divert attention from the economic policy challenges.

A quarter of South Africans are unemployed, the gap between rich and poor is one of the world’s widest. Last year, over one million jobs were lost in mining and manufacturing. More job cuts are forecast for 2010.

The month-long World Cup, which starts on June 11, will provide only a limited boost. Visitor estimates have been cut from 450,000 to 300,000, due to the global financial crisis.

Projections are for an immediate 13 billion rand ($1.65 billion) cash injection into the local economy, and much larger long-terms gains from improved infrastructure, but many South Africans wonder whether the 40 billion rand cost was worth it.

Almost daily demonstrations in shanty towns to demand better homes, schools and clinics highlight the disaffection.

“When I look at the new stadiums, it makes me angry,” said Buhle Ndima, 28, an unemployed mother-of-two from Soweto, a Johannesburg township. “Why couldn’t the government build houses for us instead of fancy stadiums for foreigners?”

(Editing by Marius Bosch, Matthew Tostevin and Philippa Fletcher)

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Q+A – Could strikes, protests hit S.Africa during World Cup?

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South African transport workers, on strike for a third week, have threatened to call for sympathy walkouts at the national airline and elsewhere less than three weeks before the soccer World Cup kicks off.

The strike at rail and logistics group Transnet has curtailed exports of metals, cars, wine and fruit to Asia and Europe. The government said farmers had lost over $127 million due to the strike, putting jobs in the agriculture sector at risk. Even football body FIFA said imports of some equipment for the World Cup had been affected.

The following looks at various issues.

WILL THERE BE FURTHER STRIKES?

South Africa’s biggest union, The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said its members at state-owned power utility Eskom would strike from May 26 over a pay dispute. Any strike at Eskom could disrupt electricity supplies and embarrass President Jacob Zuma’s government in the run-up to the World Cup.

The union and Eskom were in talks on Tuesday to try and resolve the issue. NUM said the labour action will go ahead if no agreement is reached.

South Africa is preparing to host the month-long World Cup from June 11 and economists and analysts have criticised the unions for using the tournament to push for wage hikes way above inflation of 5.1 percent, and for other demands.

The NUM called off a similar strike last year after reaching agreement with Eskom but revived its threat after the company failed to implement certain parts of the deal.

Eskom has said it had contingency plans in place to ensure power supply. But with South Africa approaching the winter months when electricity demand peaks, a prolonged labour action could lead to blackouts.

South Africa suffered a serious power crisis in 2008, the result of years of neglect of electricity generation capacity, which cut output in industry and the key mining sector for days.

The country’s powerful labour federation COSATU has also threatened to strike over hefty electricity price increases during the World Cup.

COSATU opposes a 25 percent rise in electricity prices granted to Eskom. The labour federation says the increase and two similar increases over the next two years will have a crippling effect on the poor and lead to further job losses.

COULD PROTESTS TAKE PLACE DURING WORLD CUP?

Since the start of the year, there has been an upsurge in protests in black townships and shantytowns where poor residents are angry over the government’s failure to provide housing, jobs and basic services, such as electricity and water.

In the first quarter of 2010 there were 54 major protests compared to 109 for the whole of last year, according to Municipal IQ, a local government monitoring service.

The often violent protests have produced images reminiscent of the apartheid era with police using force to break them up. They have erupted around the country and police have said they are prepared for any such protests during the World Cup.

IS ZUMA UNDER PRESSURE?

The longer the labour unrest continues, the more Zuma and his government will come under pressure to act to avert any potentially damaging impact on the World Cup — for which South Africa has been preparing since 2004.

Zuma has already appealed to workers not to disrupt the World Cup but his call has had no impact so far. Any strong action from Zuma could further alienate him from the support base that helped him reach the country’s top political position.

COULD THERE BE OTHER UNREST?

The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (Cormsa), a grouping of human rights and migrant organisations including Amnesty International and the South African Red Cross, warned this month that attacks against foreign migrants could flare up again.

A wave of xenophobic attacks two years ago saw at least 62 people killed and over 100,000 foreign migrants displaced.

Cormsa said at least 10 incidents of violence against foreigners have taken place since the start of the year.

The xenophobic attacks in 2008 were only brought to an end after massive intervention by police and the army.

WHAT IMPACT WILL UNREST AND PROTESTS HAVE?

Any violent protest or xenophobic attack in the next eight weeks will have a devastating effect on South Africa’s image as the unrest will be amplified by the presence in the country of tens of thousands of soccer fans, journalists and officials from across the world.

South Africa’s government has spent billions of dollars on upgrading transport infrastructure and building soccer stadiums, hoping a successful World Cup will boost the country’s image and attract millions more tourists over the next five years.

Major unrest, high-profile crime incidents or a terrorist attack during the event will undermine those plans as well as financial markets in Africa’s biggest economy.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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S.Africa’s Zuma warns of human trafficking risk

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Parents must be vigilant during the soccer World Cup to guard against a possible jump in child trafficking, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

In a speech launching a new child protection law, Zuma said that hosting an event of such magnitude could be seen as an opportunity for criminals, particularly during an extended school holiday.

South African schools will be closed for the month-long Cup, which starts on June 11.

“Not all parents and care-givers will be able to align their vacation with that of the extended school vacation. We urge parents to take extra care and ensure that their children are supervised and provided with guidance at all times,” he said.

“Children wandering alone in shopping malls and football stadiums will be vulnerable to people with evil intentions.”

The United Nations says trafficking generates billions of dollars annually, with 79 percent of those affected falling victim to sexual exploitation. An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people are trafficked a year, half of them children.

South Africa fast-tracked a new law against human trafficking to bring it into effect before the World Cup, making it easier to prosecute suspects and giving South African courts jurisdiction over acts outside the country’s borders.

Those found guilty could now face life imprisonment or a heavy fine.

SECURITY BUDGET

Trafficking has not traditionally been a major issue in South Africa but activists say the problem is growing and child groups have warned of an increase in incidents during the tournament, when some 350,000 foreigners are expected to travel to the country.

Zuma said human trafficking had been prioritised within the justice system and that dedicated police co-ordinators and task teams had been set up.

“We will play our part as government but parents and care-givers also have to be vigilant,” he said.

South Africa’s government has vowed to keep fans safe during the World Cup, setting aside an additional 1.3 billion rand ($164.2 million) for security.

The country has some of the highest violent crime levels in the world, with more than 18,000 people murdered in the 12 months to March 2009 — around 50 a day and more than the United States which has six times the population.

Local news agency SAPA reported that Zuma had appealed to South Africans to “be good” for the month of the tournament.

“In this time, we need good South Africans. Let them, just for four weeks, be good. Just for four weeks,” he said at a prayer meeting on Thursday.

(Editing by Clare Fallon; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Jacob Zuma is HIV negative

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 26 (ANI): After receiving much flak over ruining safe sex campaigns, South Africa”s President Jacob Zuma has revealed test results showing he was HIV negative.

Zuma, who has three wives, triggered controversy by fathering a child out of wedlock and admitting to having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to share my test results with South Africans,” the Scotsman quoted Zuma as saying at Natalspruit Hospital, near Johannesburg.

“My April results, like the three previous ones, registered a negative outcome for the HI virus,” he added. (ANI)

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Football world cup to be South Africa’s ‘defining moment’

April 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Johannesburg, April 22 (IANS) The 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa will be the country’s ‘defining moment’, a top official has said.

With just 50 days left before the soccer extravaganza kicks off, preparations are on in full swing, said Danny Jordaan, chief executive officer of the local organising committee.

‘In just 50 days time, we begin what I believe will be one of our most important defining moments, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This defining moment will last a full month, a moment where the attention of the world will be nowhere but right here in South Africa,’ Jordaan was quoted as saying by BuaNews Wednesday.

‘I call on all South Africans to get involved in the World Cup because this is our tournament. We must remember that a huge part of the success of the World Cup relies on how all South Africans host the world this year. It is up to every one of us to make sure that we show all the visitors and the global television audience the warmth, friendship and unity of South Africa,’ he said.

President Jacob Zuma has LAO called on all South Africans to rally behind the national soccer team, popularly known by its nickname Bafana Bafana.

Bafana Bafana has been drawn in a tough group that includes Mexico and 1998 champions France but the national team will go beyond the first round of the tournament, Zuma said.

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India with non-Western powers to oppose Iran sanctions

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other world leaders gathering here have cautioned the United States and the West against imposing new sanctions against Tehran while urging Iran to abide by its non-proliferation obligations.

India and other non-Western powers believe that the continued exploration of a “peaceful and diplomatic” option will help defuse the growing nuclear confrontation between Iran and the West. The emphasis of the non-western leaders is on a political solution that carefully balances the obligations of both sides.

As the Obama Administration seeks to win support at the United Nations for an additional set of sanctions against Iran’s nuclear defiance of the international system, Tehran is launching a diplomatic offensive of its own.

Iran has convened a two-day meeting — called ‘Nuclear Energy For All, Nuclear Weapons For No One’ — that starts in Tehran on April 17, a week after the U S President Obama-hosted summit on nuclear security.

Many leading non-Western nations, including India, are expected to participate in the conference. Tehran sees the conference as a stage for mobilising opinion at a review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the United Nations in May.

Senior officials in Tehran claim that “foreign ministers from 14 countries, 10 deputy foreign ministers, representatives of eight regional and international conferences and experts from 70 countries” will join the conference.

In a joint communiqué issued at the end of their deliberations, the leaders of the IBSA forum — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President of Brazil Lula da Silva and South African President Jacob Zuma — “recognised the right of Iran to develop nuclear programmes for peaceful purposes in keeping with its international obligations”.

The three leaders also called on “Iran to full cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and comply with the relevant resolutions”. The summit of the BRIC forum (Brazil, Russia, India and China) did not address the issue of Iran sanctions directly. Two BRIC members, Russia and China, are represented in the UN Security Council, and are actively participating in the debate on additional sanctions.

While the reluctance of Moscow and Beijing to impose immediate sanctions against Iran is well-known, Brazil has emerged as a major voice in favour of international restraint. President Lula is scheduled to visit Iran next month.

According to Brazil’s foreign minister, Celso Amorim, Lula discussed the issue of Iran sanctions with the Russian, Chinese and Indian leaders here. “Lula reaffirmed his conviction, based on past experiences and on Iran’s situation itself, that sanctions not only are inefficient but in some cases can be counterproductive even for the objectives (for which) they are being applied”, Amorim added.

The minister denied that Brazil had become “pro-Iran” and said that Brasilia favours “negotiated solutions to global problems”.

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Obama: al Qaeda bid to go nuclear is top threat

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Sunday that efforts by al Qaeda to acquire atomic weapons posed the biggest threat to global security, and world leaders meeting this week must act with urgency to combat this danger.

Barack Obama

Obama, speaking on the eve of an unprecedented 47-nation summit in Washington aimed at thwarting nuclear terrorism, said he expected “enormous progress” at the conference toward the goal of locking down loose nuclear material worldwide.

“The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact that the single biggest threat to U.S. security — both short-term, medium-term and long-term — would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Obama told reporters.

“We know that organizations like al Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure a nuclear weapon — a weapon of mass destruction that they have no compunction at using,” Obama said before talks with South African President Jacob Zuma.

Nuclear non-proliferation experts say there are no known instances of terrorist groups obtaining highly enriched uranium or plutonium that could be used to make a crude nuclear bomb but note there have been 18 cases of nuclear material being stolen or going missing since the early 1990s.

“This is something that could change the security landscape of this country and around the world for years to come,” Obama said, warning of the potential consequences if a nuclear bomb were detonated.

Obama’s goal at the two-day summit is to get nations to agree to secure vulnerable nuclear material within four years and to take specific steps to crack down on nuclear smuggling.

WIDE-RANGING TALKS

The president held talks on Sunday with the prime ministers of nuclear-armed foes India and Pakistan, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and South Africa’s Zuma. He will see Chinese President Hu Jintao, Jordan’s King Abdullah and the leaders of Malaysia, Ukraine and Armenia on Monday.

Signaling the U.S.-led push for new sanctions on Iran is on leaders’ minds even if not on the summit agenda, the White House said Obama told Zuma a “strong and unified international response” is required over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The West wants further sanctions to deter Iran from what is seen as a covert nuclear weapons development drive, while Tehran says it has only peaceful nuclear ambitions.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani “indicated his assurance that Pakistan takes nuclear security seriously and has appropriate safeguards in place,” the White House said. It said Obama reasserted to Gilani “the importance of nuclear security, a priority he has reiterated for all countries.”

Nuclear non-proliferation experts say Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and stockpile of weapons-grade nuclear material is heavily guarded but the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban make the country one of the areas of greatest concern.

Pakistan is still trying to move out from the shadow cast by scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who was at the center of the world’s biggest nuclear proliferation scandal in 2004. He has confessed to selling secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

In his 50-minute meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Obama heard a litany of concerns about India’s neighbor Pakistan, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who briefed reporters.

Singh talked to Obama about the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, “and also the fact that unfortunately there was no will on the part of the government of Pakistan to punish those responsible for the terrorist crimes in Mumbai,” Rao said.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947 and several smaller conflicts, including one in 1999. Both nations conducted nuclear tests in 1998 and are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

KAZAKHSTAN AS MODEL?

White House officials said Obama praised Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev as a model leader in their meeting for the steps he has taken to denuclearize his central Asian nation.

The former Soviet Union carried out nearly 500 atmospheric and underground nuclear test explosions in Kazakhstan between 1949 and 1989. Nazarbayev closed the testing site in 1991 and has disposed of more than 100 nuclear warheads.

The Kazakh government has erected posters around Washington ahead of the summit highlighting the country’s decision to get rid of its nuclear arsenal, once the world’s fourth largest.

White House officials said Obama would also meet Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit. A U.S. congressional committee last month voted to label the World War One-era massacres of Armenians by Turkish forces as genocide, angering Ankara and prompting it to recall its ambassador from Washington.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Susan Cornwell; editing by Eric Walsh and Todd Eastham)

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Obama: al Qaeda bid to go nuclear is top threat

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Sunday that efforts by al Qaeda to acquire atomic weapons posed the biggest security threat, and world leaders meeting this week must act with urgency to combat this danger.

Barack Obama

Obama, speaking on the eve of an unprecedented 47-nation summit in Washington aimed at thwarting nuclear terrorism, said he expected “enormous progress” at the conference toward the goal of locking down loose nuclear material worldwide.

“The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact that the single biggest threat to U.S. security — both short-term, medium-term and long-term — would be the possibility of a terrorist organization obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Obama told reporters.

“We know that organizations like al Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure a nuclear weapon — a weapon of mass destruction that they have no compunction at using,” Obama said before talks with South African President Jacob Zuma.

Nuclear non-proliferation experts say there are no known instances of terrorist groups obtaining highly enriched uranium or plutonium that could be used to make a crude nuclear bomb but note there have been 18 cases of nuclear material being stolen or going missing since the early 1990s.

“This is something that could change the security landscape of this country and around the world for years to come,” Obama said, warning of the potential consequences if a nuclear bomb were detonated.

Obama’s goal at the two-day summit is to get nations to agree to secure vulnerable nuclear material within four years and to take specific steps to crack down on nuclear smuggling.

WIDE-RANGING TALKS

The president held a series of wide-ranging talks with foreign leaders on Sunday, including the prime ministers of nuclear-armed foes India and Pakistan, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and South Africa’s Zuma.

Nuclear non-proliferation experts say Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and stockpile of weapons-grade nuclear material is heavily guarded but the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban make the country one of the areas of greatest concern.

Before leaving for the United States, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani assured the international community that Pakistan’s nuclear program was in “safe hands.”

Pakistan is still trying to move out from the shadow cast by scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who was at the center of the world’s biggest nuclear proliferation scandal in 2004. He has confessed to selling secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

In his 50-minute meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Obama heard a litany of concerns about India’s neighbor Pakistan, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who briefed reporters.

Singh talked to Obama about the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, “and also the fact that unfortunately there was no will on the part of the government of Pakistan to punish those responsible for the terrorist crimes in Mumbai,” Rao said.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947 and several smaller conflicts, including one in 1999. Both nations conducted nuclear tests in 1998 and are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

White House officials said Obama praised Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev as a model leader in their meeting for the steps he has taken to denuclearize his central Asian nation.

The former Soviet Union carried out nearly 500 atmospheric and underground nuclear test explosions in Kazakhstan between 1949 and 1989. Nazarbayev closed the testing site in 1991 and got rid of more than 100 nuclear warheads.

The Kazakh government has erected posters around Washington ahead of the summit highlighting the country’s decision to get rid of its nuclear arsenal, once the world’s fourth-largest.

White House officials also said Obama would meet Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit. A U.S. congressional committee last month voted to label the World War One-era massacres of Armenians by Turkish forces as genocide, angering Ankara and prompting it to recall its ambassador from Washington.

(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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