Africa a World Cup winner despite humiliation on the pitch
By Info | June 28, 2010
David Smith, the Guardian, Sunday 27 June 2010
It was the best of times, it was the worst of teams. Two weeks into the World Cup, Africa is basking in the success of organising the biggest sports event on the planet – but already conducting a postmortem into why its finest talents froze on home ground.
Commentators have praised South Africa for defying the pessimists by staging a smoothly run tournament with a friendly atmosphere and few hiccups. They see it is a turning point for the continent, an “Africa Rising” dawn. Read the rest of this entry »
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France v South Africa: A win to celebrate South Africa
By Campaigns | June 22, 2010
I am supporting South Africa in today’s match, although part of me feels that the French team needs all the support it can get. With Nicolas Anelka sent home, the team refusing to train on Sunday, resignations from within their camp and both teams needing to win today it will definitely be a great match to watch. Read the rest of this entry »
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Support the boys, the boys this Youth Day
By Info | June 16, 2010
We’ve been writing for WDM’s World Cup site www.whoshouldIcheerfor.com about this evening’s match, South Africa v Uruguay.
Today is an important day for South Africa, and not just because it’s Bafana Bafana’s second group match of the World Cup against Uruguay. The date has a significant place in the country’s history and the campaign against apartheid and is marked annually with a public holiday to celebrate ‘Youth Day’. Read the rest of this entry »
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COSATU commemorates Youth Day
By Info | June 16, 2010
On Youth Day 2010, the Congress of South African Trade Unions salutes the heroes and heroines of 16 June 1976, whose fearless confrontation with the forces of the apartheid dictatorship paved the way for the freedom and democracy we enjoy today.
As we celebrate the glorious World Cup which our democratic South Africa is so proudly hosting, let us never forget that but for the struggle and sacrifice of those young South Africans, we could still be the international sport pariah that we quite deservedly were in those dark days. Read the rest of this entry »
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2010 World Cup Opening in London Trafalgar Square
By Info | June 14, 2010
Watch His Excellency Dr Zola, the South African High Commissioner to the UK, speaking at the World Cup opening in London Trafalgar Square on Friday 11 June.
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South Africa, football and solidarity: An interview with Lebo Mashile
By Info | June 9, 2010
Lebo Mashile, a poet, actress, presenter and producer is a popular face on stage and screen in her native South Africa. A recipient of countless awards for her post-apartheid new generation poetry, Lebo continues to feature prominently on television, hosting programmes such as ‘Drawing the Line’. Lebo spoke to Tom Brigden, an intern at ACTSA, before she performed at the World Cup Diski Party on 4 June organised by Philosophy Football and supported by ACTSA. Read the rest of this entry »
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Love football, hate poverty? Who will you cheer for in the World Cup?
By Info | June 9, 2010
Who are you cheering for in the World Cup? For most of us, the answer will probably be England. But what if you are Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish and your team didn’t qualify? And who do you cheer for when your team isn’t playing?
Perhaps you’d cheer for a team that plays attractive football, like Brazil, a team that contains players from the club team that you support or, as you are reading this here – South Africa. Read the rest of this entry »
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The last best hope of Lesotho, a small country in big trouble
By Info | June 8, 2010
By David Smith, the Guardian, Monday 7 June
“This is the last frontier of tourism in southern Africa,” said our guide as I gasped and wheezed my way up Thaba Bosiu, meaning “mountain of the night” in the Sesotho language – so named because when darkness fell it appeared to grow in defiance of would-be conquerors.
It is described as the most important historical site in Lesotho but, rather refreshingly, you wouldn’t know it apart from a discreet visitor centre at the base. None of the postcard sellers outside the Colosseum, none of the queues at the Grand Canyon, none of the beggars at the Great Pyramid. Instead, serenity and silence and an eternity of wind, and the puckish sense that you’ve stumbled upon a lost civilisation, like one of the original great explorers. Read the rest of this entry »
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World Cup England supporters to visit Robben Island and townships
By Mark | June 7, 2010
The Guardian, Monday June 7
England fans spending time in a notorious prison and taking on locals across South Africa might not immediately bring to mind the most positive of World Cup headlines.
But for a group of more than 60 England supporters their trip to meet former prisoners on Robben Island, a series of matches in townships across South Africa and goodwill trips to schools are part of their attempt to demonstrate to the world how the reputation of England’s travelling support has changed. Read the rest of this entry »
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Miracles still happen
By Info | June 4, 2010
By Maggie Paterson, ACTSA National Executive Committee
South Africa is gripped by World Cup football fever. You can’t miss it at Johannesburg’s bright, shiny new OR Tambo airport. I arrived just in time to see the Brazil team land to an ecstatic welcome. Flags of the Cup nations flutter everywhere. South African colours blaze from every other passing car. In Tshwane (Pretoria), banners hang from every lamp post greeting the countries and announcing the games to be played in the city. Read the rest of this entry »
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