It’s been a bloodless coup unseen by most, but the world’s soccer governing body FIFA has taken over South Africa and ousted the ruling African National Congress, writes Rodney Hartman.
“FIFA is an organization that wields far greater influence than the United Nations and, more importantly, has far greater muscle,” he writes. “It can, and does, tell governments what to do — and they go off and do it. Without squeezing a trigger or buying a Gripen, it can bring a nation to its knees. What is more, FIFA is able to appeal to the masses, which is more than you can say for the ANC.”
If you want a new airport, you go to FIFA and ask them if it’s okay. If they say no, your existing airport is fine, then you shelve the plan. “You think you’ve got enough hotels. FIFA says, hey, you haven’t got enough hotels. You better build some, and they should look like this and this and they should be situated here and here.” The similarity between FIFA and the ANC is that “both are non-profit organisations that make millions. The big difference is that while the ANC only has a country to screw up, FIFA has the whole world on a string.”