Statement by the anarcho-communists in South Africa over the "World Cup" soccer

This statement was posted yesterday on the website of the South African Anarchist Communist Federation Zabalata "(ZACF). It is not difficult to see that much is happening in South Africa, recalls the preparations for the Sochi-2014. Capitalism, as the saying goes, he and capitalism in Africa. Despite the efforts of the authorities in South Africa to achieve the "civil concord" all opposition has managed to start a forum, "No privatization!", Which runs concurrently with the championship. We put this statement with some cuts.Full text in English can be found at: .

FIFA World Cup 2010 should be closed, if only because some extreme fraud he is like. ZACF accuses government of hypocrisy, representing championship as a successful

set of circumstances and as being the only hope for raising the economic and social development of South Africa. It is obvious that the so-called "Good chance" is only a vivid example, and the continuation and prosperity of the ruling elite of South Africa in global capitalism.In fact, this event will lead to devastating consequences for the poor in South Africa and its working class - a process that we can see right now.
The preparation of the championship South African government spent 800 billion Rand (national currency of South Africa - editorial.), Of which - 757 billion on infrastructure and 30 billion on stadiums that will be used only once. This is a real spit in the face of the inhabitants of the country where unemployment is 40 percent.Over the past five years working poor to express their dissatisfaction and disappointment more than eight thousands of protests and demands.
South Africa desperately needs to build a large-scale public infrastructure, especially in public transport, which in some cities, including Johannesburg, is virtually absent. Gautreyn (high-speed subway - editorial.) Which launched on June 8 (just before the championship) is just a joke.Gautreyn is a suitable mode of transport for tourists and those who travel from Johannesburg to Pretoria and vice versa. Most South Africans can not afford a trip to Gautreyn ... The same pattern can be seen everywhere: Airlines of South Africa (ACSA) has spent more than 16 billion rand to improve airports, South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has spent over 23 billion rand on a new network of toll roads.
More than 15 000 homeless people and children in Johannesburg have been collected and moved to the "home" in the Cape Town municipality evicted thousands of people from poor areas and squats.The Government of Cape Town (unsuccessfully) tried to evict 10,000 people from the district Joss word to conceal them from the eyes of tourists traveling along the N2 highway. In Soueto decorate the road along the tourist route and a route for FIFA, while in nearby schools, broken glass, and their buildings crumble.
Some South Africans saw it all, the other part struck a patriotic propaganda. Every Friday to announce "Football Friday" in which "nation" should be (and in school children forced to power) to wear T-shirts, Bafana Bafana, "(South African national team - editorial note)..Cars are decorated with flags, people learn a disco-dancing, which usually dance restaurants for tourists, and bought dolls fortune Zachum. Anyone who does not support what is happening is accused of antipatriotichnosti. An excellent example of this is the case when during the strike Employees Association Transport and day laborers, the government urged to refuse to participate in a strike in the "national interest".The government gloated that the championship came as a result of 400 000 jobs. However, these jobs have appeared in such a short time in most cases the spurious, short-lived, but the workers are not unionized, are paid less than the minimum level.
Social movements are also feeling the pressure from the state. There is now a tacit ban on all protest activities. The prohibition applies in fact to March 2010.
Authorities glorify "progressive" constitution of South Africa.But this new form of repression is in complete disagreement with the constitutional rights and freedoms of expression and assembly. However, social movements in Johannesburg including the forum "No privatization!" and some others not so easy to surrender. They were able to get the permission for the protest march on the opening day of the championship, but was forced to march three kilometers from the stadium, where he did not attract media attention because it is afraid of the government.
Not only the state applies the harsh repressive measures against the protesting poor.Empire FIFA behaves aggressively. Stadium and the area around it, which were handed over to FIFA at the time of the tournament, and all the way to and from the stadium forcibly cleared from street vendors. FIFA as the sole owner of the brand as the "World Championship" and its by-products, has hired a team of about a hundred lawyers, cleaning the country from the unauthorized sales of products associated with this brand.
The irony is that football was once a working class game.Browse the games live at the stadium was free and easily accessible for people who want to watch 90 minutes of interesting play and forget about the daily travails and about their lives under the boot boss or the state. At the moment football and soccer bring exorbitant profits of the capitalist elite. The game, which in many ways has lost its aesthetic beauty of the spirit of the working class, belonging to her and has degenerated to the consumer process.
Bakunin once said that "people go to church for the same, for what purpose and in a tavern: to deceive themselves, to forget their suffering, to submit himself for a moment free and happy."Perhaps, in the midst of all these wavering in the wind nationalist flags, we can develop the sport and may be easier to forget the injustice and inequality than to fight it. Although there are many who are still struggling, and the working class, poor and their organizations are not as pliable whatever they wanted to see the state.
With the help of temporary informal settlements at the door podsshe protests, demonstrations and strikes, we will make us listen to overthrow intolerable inequality that characterizes our society.

Down with the world cup! No state repression and nationalism separates the working class! Glory to fight against exploitation and capital!

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