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South Africa no longer deserves to host 2010 World Cup

By Peter Roebuck - posted Friday, 20 April 2007


Bear in mind that Sekai Holland's case is known because she is known. Imagine what is happening to the more obscure of God's creations who speak out against tyranny.

Recently a journalist was abducted and killed. Another was sacked for asking an awkward question at a press conference. Opposition activists are being hunted down by CIO agents driving around in cars, hiding behind dark glasses, consumed by evil, pouncing upon those daring to defy tyranny.

Local outrage is needed. Sometimes it is heard, though seldom on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) which has become a tame mouthpiece of the government. Meanwhile inflation rages, starvation and sickness are widespread, repressives rule and Africa fiddles. And it is all Mr Blair's fault? Mugabe has been in power for 27 years.

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The only course of action available to the rest of the world is to take the World Cup away from South Africa. Otherwise the grim prospect will be faced of an educated, warm, fundamentally decent people being forced back across the border to face further savagery even as Brazil and France play the beautiful game in a well furnished stadium. It is situation intolerable to those who care more about humanity than political theory, those who refuse to be misled by silver tongues and demagoguery.

It is a state of affairs inconceivable to those who care about sport.

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First published in Eureka Street on April 17, 2007.



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About the Author

Peter Roebuck is a writer for the The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, amongst other publications, and a commentator on the ABC. He also helped found the the LBW Trust, which helps young Zimbabweans attend university.

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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