Communications chief says the M&G is focusing on personalities rather than the bigger picture
When, like us, you have a giant glass football perched on top of your headquarters, you expect a few stones to be hurled in your direction.
The 2010 Fifa World Cup local organising committee (LOC) South Africa is a very public organisation, staging a very public tournament in which millions of South Africans have a vested interest.
So we accept we operate in the public eye and that we will be subjected to considerable scrutiny.
Recently, however, sections of the media have chosen to — using football parlance — play the man and not the ball, focusing on personalities, rather than on the content of South Africa’s 2010 preparations.
The Mail & Guardian has attacked myself and my colleagues personally, basing its entire story on an anonymous “source” clearly informed by his or her own agendas, without any substantiation.
While I don’t expect any special favours, surely a hatchet job masquerading as an objective piece of journalism is grossly unfair, especially in a newspaper of the calibre of the M&G, which is known for its accuracy, objectivity and thorough journalism.
I personally report to my colleagues, the chief officers of the LOC and the chief executive officer and I work very closely with our Fifa colleagues in the media and marketing space.
We have been running bi-monthly workshops with host cities since April last year and also report to the sub-committee of communications and marketing, chaired by Minister Essop Pahad, which reports to the board of directors of the LOC.
They are well placed to judge, rather than anonymous sources who don’t directly work on the project.
I maintain that we employ some of the best people in their respective professions, who have ensured that as a division we meet all the milestones in our marketing programme.
We also gave the media an excellent working experience at the World Cup preliminary draw recently in Durban and are working flat out to ensure we provide the media with world-class services for the Fifa Confederations Cup 2009 and 2010 Fifa World Cup.
We acknowledge the need to step up our efforts to engage and involve South Africans more and welcome the scrutiny.
The reality, however, is that far from being in turmoil, the LOC is a very motivated, talented and committed group and preparations for the first Fifa World Cup in Africa are going exceedingly well.
The real heroes are the more than 20 000 men and women working painstakingly on the World Cup stadium construction projects all around the country, who are meeting and in some instances exceeding their tight deadlines.
Fifa has acknowledged this countless times, as has government in its recent 2010 mid-term report, while Fifa has also commended South Africa’s host cities for their understanding of Fifa requirements and their thorough planning to meet those.
Rather than taking anyone’s word for it, though, the progress is there for all to see.
There is so much negativity and despondency in our country. Hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup is one project that gives us hope.
The World Cup will not be the panacea for all our country’s ills but, amid the difficulties, our country also has so many positive attributes to which the tournament will bring unprecedented global attention.
It has provided acceleration in much-needed infrastructure and focused attention on the country’s investment and tourism potential, with a view to the country’s long term sustainability.
It’s not an easy job organising a Fifa World Cup and we at the LOC are simply doing our best under very trying circumstances and need the support of all South Africans. And we will continue to do so.
Tim Modise is the chief officer of communications and marketing at the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee South Africa