Editor's Column - Clint Roper
Editor's Blog By Clint Roper.
Wow… It's called the beautiful game, but could the face of FIFA, the custodian of the planet's greatest sport, be any more grotesque than it is right now? FIFA, who on their own website profess to be 'the guardians of the game', are being red carded again and again, yet no suspensions or bans ever seem to be handed out. Where is the FIFA Fair Play in all of this? In fact reading what seems to be part of their mission statement makes for pure comedy considering the current state of affairs. Have a giggle for yourself: "FIFA protects the integrity of football and is fighting corruption in football. We work with our member associations and confederations to improve and strengthen governance standards within the global football community to give football the solid foundation it needs to thrive everywhere." Yeah, right... To top it off, though, just when you thought you'd heard it all, FIFA also has an Ethics Committee (almost a contradiction in terms based on the latest set of allegations, arrests and FBI investigations). Nonetheless, according to FIFA the Ethics Committee's job is: "To ensure a separation of powers, the independent Ethics Committee, established as the third judicial body under the FIFA Code of Ethics, is responsible for watching over the entire football community and helping to tackle current challenges in football such as illegal betting, bribery and other prohibited activities. Under the Code of Ethics, disciplinary sanctions can be imposed on offending officials, players, players' agents and match agents." That's quite a mouthful of platitudes in an effort to convey the sanctity of an organisation that basically owns world football and governs from its ivory tower in Switzerland. The irony of an organisation that wants the world to think that it is not besotted with money and preaches transparency, but is based in a country where for many the secrecy afforded to banking is a major draw-card for shady financing, surely cannot be lost on us at this point. FIFA would probably like us to focus less on the country's banking laws and more on the fact that Switzerland is known for its neutrality and so is the perfect place for the world's footballing hub to be situated – FIFA Fair Play and all - but I have my doubts… But let's move away from looking at FIFA and have a look at ourselves to see if we like what is staring back at us from the mirror as the world, and the FBI, turn their attention to us with allegations of bribery and corruption. Now, I do sometimes take what the USA says with a pinch of salt. The self-proclaimed "police of the world" have been known to stack the chips in their own favour when it comes to fabricating their need for involvement, often in issues that have nothing to do with them. And it's not lost on me that, while they have their sights squarely on the 2010 World Cup, their own World Cup seems to have escaped their radar, at least for now. That said, the $10 million bribery allegation has caused SAFA to become very uncomfortable, especially now that a letter has allegedly emerged confirming that, indeed, the exact amount of $10 million was paid by SAFA to an association for use towards what has been described as "a football development fund". Now that, for me, would seem perfectly fine if indeed we had our own house in order and our own development structures were zipping along. But considering the mess our own football is in, considering the on-going speeches about getting our development structures right, about a long-term vision for development football in South Africa and that development is the reason for our continued downfall at senior level, giving away $10 million just makes no sense. It is akin to a man fighting a life threatening disease and needing very expensive medical treatment, and then giving his medical aid to someone else. If we were Spain or Holland and we donated $10 million out of the goodness of our hearts to some association, then maybe it would seem like a 'clean' transaction because then we'd have a production line of world class talent playing abroad to show for it. We'd have junior World Cups and senior World Cups and triumphs to show as proof that our own house was in order, and that there was indeed a reason we had surplus in the kitty. But we don't have that. We can't even say we were doing that for Africa, as the association we gave it to did not have African associations. We could possibly argue it was out of a feeling of 'Ubuntu', but that would mean we enjoy giving (and in this instance money), when I'd venture to say that receiving (and I do mean money) is probably closer to what many in positions of footballing power lean towards. The 2010 World Cup was something I was proud of as a South African. It's something our great Madiba helped bring to this country. It brought us closer together as a nation. The idea that we bribed people to bring it here makes my stomach turn. I pray that our involvement in this investigation goes no further than we do at the World Cup – past round one and then we're out. Whatever the outcome, heads should roll in South Africa if we are found guilty, and heads should roll at FIFA if persons there are found guilty because the immense power of football and the awesome responsibility that comes with that needs to be taken up by men and woman who can properly handle it. Shapa, Clint
