Wavin' Flag

Every where you go in this place, you can hear them chanting. The roar of the vuvuzelas and the cheers of people excited. On the radio's, they are constantly playing Shakira's new song Waka Waka. They've let all the kids out on vacation for the next 5 weeks. Even if you dont have tickets to any of the matches, the atmosphere is still to be absorbed. Its everywhere you go. Amongst the foreigners who have come to visit our country, there is not one frowning face. We, in South Africa are the host of the biggest party of the year. Every bad thing has taken a backseat. We are no longer just a speck in a continent. We are the most rejoiced country, they tell us. Every day, we are told that we are hosts. We are the universe. The world is our guest. 

'Theres a celebration vibe, like a kid who's been bought a new toy, thats running through our streets and around us. 

On the news, they have a picture perfect image of what the country really is. A beautiful place with no pollution. A country with a rich cultural background and hospitable people. 

Some of that is true. We have pollution. Probably not as much as America, or The Middle East, but its still there. We do have a rich cultural background. All men and women in the African continent began here. We're hospitable when we want to be. 

But theres also the bad that they don't show you. They don't tell you that every day 150 women are raped and killed in the Gauteng province alone. They don't tell you that 1 700 children are out of school, because fee's have been raised so high that parents cant afford it. They definitely don't tell you that we have a song called Shoot The Boer that is sung nation wide and regarded as a classic amongst people working for a farmer. They don't tell you alot of stuff. 

Even though theres so much crap going on in South Africa, there still is alot of good. The country has been ecstatic ever since Fifa gave us the go-ahead to host the Soccer World Cup. Sales have gone through the roof. They've created Football Friday, the one day a week were you come completely decked out in your soccer gear. We have fan helmets, advertising every country thats playing in the world cup. Shakira, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend and K'naan have come to play the opening concert. We're not selfish. We have the opportunity to be, but instead, we share our gold with the rest of the world. We open up our homes to the world and share our food. We give them beds to sleep on. 

The children are having a ball. Wherever theres a tv, there's an audience. We're cheering on the other countries because we can. Its an experience we'll never have again. 

South Africa is letting its flag fly.