The sound of the vuvuzela was heard around the country at noon on Wednesday June 9, but nowhere was it louder or more potent than in Sandton, Johannesburg.
It was the United We Stand campaign, a joint initiative between Primedia Broadcasting, Southern Sun and Supersport. South Africa was asked to stop for five minutes at midday on June 9 2010, two days before the opening match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and hoot their car horns, blow vuvuzelas or make some other gesture of support for Bafana Bafana. The country rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion.
While people were celebrating all around the country, the epicentre was here at the team’s home for the tournament, in Sandton.
Fans pressed in from all sides as the Highveld winter sun beat down. There was hardly room to breathe, but this did not stop people from dancing where they stood. Flags were waved, banners were flourished, and vuvuzelas were blown and almost everyone was wearing yellow. Music blasted from the speakers outside the Southern Sun hotel on Grayston in Sandton, where South Africa’s national soccer team is staying. The crowd was waiting for the team to emerge on an open-top bus and drive around the block.
Among the excited crowds lining the streets were vendors selling boerewors rolls and ice creams – making the most of this midday opportunity. People with banners and posters were everywhere: ‘My blood is yellow and green” said one. ‘We are ready!” said another alongside pictures of Nelson Mandela, the Gautrain and the ten World Cup stadiums. Even though the streets were supposed to be closed only from 11.45, cars struggled to make it through the throngs of people in the street.
Crescendo and balloons
At exactly noon the noise hit a crescendo as balloons in the six colours of the flag were released. But the excited crowds had to wait another hour for the convoy bearing the Bafana Bafana players to hit the streets.
When it did, it was to the sounds of the official World Cup song, Waka Waka (It’s Time For Africa). Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and popular player Matthew Booth, both on the second bus in the parade, waved to the screaming crowd while looking slightly bemused.
With many people dancing with a vuvuzela in one hand and a phone camera in the other, the excitement found its way onto Twitter and other social networks.
Journalist Gus Silber tweeted: “South Africans, this is what democracy sounds like. Loud enough to drown out every Party in Parliament”.
White and black
At the intersection of Maude and Rivonia, people danced in circular groups, chanting “iBafana izo Phumelela” (Bafana is going to win). White and black hands clutching vuvuzelas and flags filled the air and people sang Shosholoza.
People left their offices, school children came from the schools and construction workers stopped what they were doing to join in the massive street party. Some fans were dressed in Bafana gear from head to toe, while others sported the yellow jersey over their shirts and ties or pencil skirts.
There was some symbol of World Cup fever everywhere you looked. The trees outside the Nedbank building were wrapped in green and yellow; an enormous South African flag and two banners hang from the roof. Rand Merchant Bank managed to somehow imprint the entire top half of their building with the SA flag.
It was the type of celebration that is normally reserved for World Cup-winning teams, but that day it was solely for “our boys” before they had even stepped foot on the pitch.
United
After six long years of preparation, after all the doubts and negative press and concerns over whether South Africa could host an event of this magnitude, locals celebrated its arrival. And as they showed in Sandton and across the country, South Africans are united behind their team.
As South African blogger Khaya Dlanga tweeted: “I ask you my fellow South Africans, do you still doubt your love for this country?”