-- the return on that investment is by no means assured; add to that the reality that FIFA pays no taxes and institutes exclusion zones around the stadiums where matches take place, and tax income is curtailed. Within these exclusion zones, only FIFA and its partners may sell any goods; nothing from these sales accrues to the government."
Such massive debt, Kerst warns, would lead to a marked slowdown in public sector spending, especially on large capital projects, and that the insurance industry might face lean times ahead.
While South Africa incurs this staggering debt, a huge import bill, and a dramatic rise in foreign debt FIFA's profit is estimated at R24 billion/ US $3 billion; television rights alone run to approximately US $2.8 billion.
Even other large corporations are issuing warnings. MasterCard stated recently: "Any company should have grave concerns about doing business with FIFA: lying, deception, and bad faith are standard operating procedure."
Where there's a will, there's a way
A wonderful thing about human beings is their generous creativity in the face of injustice. For, of course, there will be protests. Indeed, a small cadre of extraordinarily talents has already begun protesting. Hip hop musicians Creamy Ewok Baggend are sponsored by the Khulumani Support group, currently taking on five major corporations who, they charge, are complicit in supporting the South African Government during apartheid and are also investors in FIFA World Cup.
Where numbers and statistics may fail with some audiences, Ewok's contribution, "Shame on the Game" may go viral and their lyrics tell the world a compelling story:
It's a beautiful game
where we stand on the side
as they play with the pieces and
we pay with our pride.
It's a beautiful game.
How they loan us to own us
they've shown us a beautiful game.
I'm not talking to the people in the
stands on the side
the people who need a little hope in
their lives
I'm not talking to the kids who want to
see the stars
want to see a future without death or
jail bars.
'm not talking to the coach.
I'm not talking to the team.
I'm talking to the money men behind the
screen.
I'm trying to stop another dummy move
getting past
"
We're playing with our balls while
they're playing with our lives.
They come disguised like they're
playing for our side
but the minute that we're finished
they're the first to vy!
The picture is bigger than the one
getting played.
They sold back then
and they're still getting paid!
To date, the financial gain is always on FIFA's side. How that small group of private investors must smile as their bank balance fattens: the beautiful game harnessed as the miracle investment. They have outlawed cries of "foul" and, as they go to the bank, they must yell with the same joy Mexican soccer announcers yell, "gooooooooal!
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