The 2010 FIFA World Cup: critical voices from below

This essay presents a different perspective of the 2010 World Cup: that of critical voices which include social movements, labour formations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and ‘left’-leaning individuals. Drawing on interviews with activists, written documents, conventional and alternative media, the essay argues that criticism of the event falls within two categories. First, the tournament will not benefit the poor and the disadvantaged. On the contrary, given developments on the ground, the opposite is more likely to happen. Second, the expenditure of billions of rands on the ‘elitist’ World Cup constitutes a misdirection of resources needed to meet a wide range of pressing social needs. These ‘voices from below’ also raise important questions pertaining to the projected economic spin-offs and the alleged ‘development’ and ‘anti poverty’ component of 2010. A number of community-based activities addressing the impact of World Cup preparations on the urban working class are given attention.

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