There is a company in the UK that is marketing "stab-proof" vests for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Yes, Africa gets a bad rap for danger, but South Africa has hosted many huge sporting events [the Rugby World Cup, the IPL cricket and the Confederations Cup] and there were no incidents, but I do understand that the World Cup is probably much bigger in scope. The guy who is making these vests is advertising them along with crime statistics-- a money-making venture that is using scare tactics for a profit. They showed official police statistics, but omitted that 50 percent of killings were the result of arguments or misunderstandings and 16 percent the consequence of another crime -- never do they identify how many tourists were killed. Of course there is going to be the odd incident at any major sporting event but why is South Africa being demonized like this when it has successfully hosted a rugby world cup and a cricket world cup?
South Africa does one of the world's highest crime rates, but I just watched on the news yesterday the training of thousands more security officers and police... all for the World Cup. Thousands. They are spending R1.3billion [$179,310,345 USD], including 45,000 police officers deployed for the event, but also new equipment including helicopters, water cannons, body armour and 100 new patrol vehicles.
They are so concerned about people feeling safe because they know that this is a huge opportunity for them. In all the years of the World Cup, this is the first time it has been on the African continent-- all of Africa is excited about it. Along with that, every evening I hear about how they predict that the World Cup might actually lift South Africa out of a recession.
"We have shown our ability to safeguard events," Danny Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa's World Cup organizing committee, told CNN recently. "In 140 events since 1994 we've not seen a single incident. You could draw up a list of countries with that kind of record and find very few." They are taking this so seriously because so much of the country is depending on this, and EVERYONE is looking forward to it [except me, of course, because I am foreign and come World Cup time I am going to be charged tourist prices for everything... ugh. My cost of living will skyrocket].
So I don't know if I should laugh at how crazy this is, or be angry that a company is purposefully trying to scare people into buying their vests. I can see the reason to be scared or concerned with your safety given the crime statistics, but I feel as if this is promoting something bad. South Africa has enough problems-- I don't want anyone adding to it. I think it would be more globally responsible to teach people the practices of safe tourism-- have a website that explains the safety precautions and common sense when visiting any big city, be is Cape Town or Rio de Janero or New York. That would be a long-lasting contribution and helpful on all sides. And if all goes well, I will be watching a World Cup game in Johannesburg [arguably the most dangerous city in South Africa], and I will be without vest.
If you would like to look at the site for the vest, it is: http://www.protektorvest.com/
"The vests are being offered for sale for US$69.95, plus an additional $2 if buyers want their team's country flag on the front, and will be delivered directly to visiting fans' hotels or other accommodation in Johannesburg or Pretoria, just before the World Cup kicks off."
Oh, and to add to my long list of to-dos that I forgot in the last post, I am also supposed to be making a promotional video for Thandanani to go overseas to sponsors to acquire funding. Like... a good video. Before March. But I have no video making software or any video [since my camera card was completely erased]. So we will see how this goes.
wow. I'd probably be kinda mad. People need to be careful, but they might come to the games and think that every native is a savage ready to stab them. Sad.
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