Monograph_soccer_2010_for print.indd

The document examines how the 2010 FIFA World Cup created opportunities for corruption and conflicts of interest in South Africa. It details irregularities in stadium tenders in Johannesburg, Durban, and the Eastern Cape, and critiques the lack of transparency in FIFA's global operations and its relationship with exclusive suppliers like Match Event Services. The report argues that the pressure to meet FIFA's stringent requirements often led the South African government to prioritize the interests of the event organizers over the long-term public interest and developmental needs of the host cities.

• The City of Johannesburg effectively ceded its potential profits from the 2010 World Cup to National Stadium SA (NSSA), a company established in 2009 to manage Soccer City. The agreement allows NSSA to use World Cup income for its own expenses and capital expenditure, with the City even agreeing to pay any shortfall.
• There are serious concerns regarding the legitimacy of NSSA's black economic empowerment (BEE) status. A 26 per cent shareholding was transferred to Gladwin Khangale, a former security guard, shortly before the tender application; however, Khangale has no financial responsibility for loans or contracts and no power to hire or fire.
• In the Eastern Cape, the Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB) awarded advertising and branding contracts to companies that ranked lower in the evaluation process. Specifically, Boomtown was awarded a tender despite ranking third, and Dumisa Media was awarded another despite ranking sixth.
• Allegations of corruption surfaced in Mthatha regarding the construction of its stadium, where a company called Rumdel Construction claimed it was asked for a R6 million bribe to be awarded a R500 million contract.
• FIFA's internal structure is described as lacking transparency and accountability, which has enabled officials to enrich themselves. For example, Vice-President Jack Warner allegedly used his position to award lucrative contracts to his own family's businesses during the 2001 Under-17 tournament in Trinidad.
• FIFA's exclusive accommodation provider, Match Event Services, has been accused of price gouging. In the Kruger National Park, Match charged rates up to ten times the normal price for some units, such as charging R5,382 per night for a safari tent that normally costs R550.
• Match Hospitality, which holds exclusive hospitality rights, has a shareholding structure that includes Infront Sports & Media, a company headed by Philippe Blatter, the nephew of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, raising significant conflict of interest concerns.
• The decision to build the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town was driven by FIFA's preference for a prime location and a larger capacity (60,000+ seats) to host a semi-final, despite other options like Athlone or Newlands being significantly cheaper and offering better developmental value.
• The Green Point Stadium is viewed as a potential 'white elephant' due to its high cost (R4,51 billion) and uncertain long-term viability, as it lacks a guaranteed anchor tenant and may require ongoing taxpayer subsidies for maintenance.
• Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium cost approximately R3,1 billion, but its business case showed a project rate of return of essentially zero percent. The project is criticized for displacing funds that could have been used for more strategic needs like housing or climate change adaptation.
• The South African construction industry was investigated by the Competition Commission for widespread collusion, price-fixing, and the use of 'score cards' to allocate World Cup stadium tenders among major firms.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Monograph_soccer_2010_for print.indd. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono169.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Monograph_soccer_2010_for print.indd. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono169.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Monograph_soccer_2010_for print.indd |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono169.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndmonographsoccer2010for, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Monograph\_soccer\_2010\_for print.indd}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono169.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }