http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/21/poor-peoples-world-cup-sh_n_619588.html

Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, reports have come out alleging that South African authorities had made efforts to hide the homeless population to make areas seem more welcoming to tourists. Now, as the games go on, one organization is taking a stand to raise awareness about the negative impact of the World Cup on the poor and homeless.

The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) has organized the Poor People's World Cup, a three-week-long competition that mimics the FIFA World Cup, but allows poor South Africans to participate and spectate. Groups from 40 impoverished Cape Town communities have formed teams to compete in the Poor People's World Cup.

March to Dan Plato on Wednesday 23 June at 9 AM

At the moment 1000 to 1500 residents from Blikkiesdorp and surrounding communities are preparing themselves for tomorrow as they will march to Dan Plato to hand over a memorandum. This march is organized by the Delft Anti-Eviction Campaign to invite Dan Plato and FIFA to the finals of the Poor People’s World Cup on July 4, 2010.

Furthermore, this march is to support all the displaced communities now living in Blikkiesdorp (the Symphony Way TRA, 20 km away from the city centre) as a result of World Cup regeneration projects. Many of these residents were promised proper houses before moving to this “concentration camp” with tin can structures - far away from the city centre and from job opportunities, good education, their social networks, etc.

http://antieviction.org.za/2010/06/14/the-first-poor-peoples-world-cup-on-african-soil/

14 06 2010

At the shadow side of the mountain, 36 teams from 40 different communities came together yesterday to play the one thing they like the most: SOCCER!

On the 13th of June 2010, the Poor People’s World Cup successfully kicked-off their first day of matches at the Avendale soccer fields, next to Athlone stadium in Cape Town. Early in the morning, the first minibuses with soccer teams arrived from all over Cape Town to play their first games in this Poor People’s tournament. Everybody was excited and the atmosphere was amazing, considering the bad weather forecasts.

Update: Click here to read a report on the first day of the Poor People's World Cup in pdf.

The Poor People's World Cup

After months of organizing a World Cup that is accessible for all the poor communities who won’t be able to see their favourite soccer teams playing in Cape Town’s expensive Greenpoint Stadium – there are only a few hours left until the kick-off of the PPWC starts!

This Poor People's World Cup is organized, because we feel that we are excluded from the FIFA World Cup 2010. We see that the government has put enormous amounts of money in Greenpoint Stadium and in upgrading Althone stadium, but we as poor communities don’t benefit from all of these investments. The soccer matches will be played in town, but we don’t have tickets or transport to go there. Besides this, the FIFA World Cup has negatively impacted our communities as we are not allowed to trade near stadiums, fan parks and other tourist areas any more. The poor are not only evicted from their trading spaces for the World Cup, we are also evicted from our homes and relocated to the TRA’s, such as Blikkiesdorp, far away from the centre and from job opportunities and from the eyes of the tourists..