FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa was a historic event for all Africa. Most, if not all, media hail World Cup success, praising the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the superb job they had done. What most people do not know is that journalists getting FIFA accreditation during the World Cup must also pledge not to throw the World Cup “into disrepute” while reporting, at the risk of being banned. With such pressure, many journalists were ‘gently reminded’ to write only good stories that can boost the image of FIFA. Is this how journalism should be? What actually happened was that the freedom of expression, the very essence of journalism, was suppressed by FIFA so we received only partial information.

Please don’t get me wrong. The tournament itself was a success. So the media is not all wrong when they say this. Fans enjoyed football matches, and so did I as a FIFA volunteer. But unfortunately, what happened behind the scenes had more failures than successes. Enjoying the World Cup, making new friends and visiting beautiful country of South Africa is one set of things, but addressing issues that are important for people to think about is another matter. A wise South African friend of mine once told me: “Sometimes people do not recognize the difference between being negative and highlighting issues that are important to change. To make it worse, people just accept injustice and corruption as a way of life.” I don’t think this statement applies only to South Africa. It is a global phenomenon that has been around for centuries.

In Cape Town, I met a couple of American fans. They ordered and bought several matches tickets online long before the World Cup. Little did they know at the time that their tickets were unavailable on arrival in South Africa! LOC quickly apologized, indicating that it was some system error. What’s more astonishing was that the ticketing office did not re-issue or find them alternative tickets for the matches they came for. The poor Americans were told to ‘buy’ new tickets for other games while the issue was being ‘sorted out’. Luckily, they were generous enough to do just that (did they have a choice?), watching some other games their team was not playing. Still a great World Cup experience, so it can be temporarily forgiven? I know some football enthusiasts would not accept this kind of mix-up and poor customer service after spending thousands of dollars to watch their team playing in the World Cup. The original ticket issue was never sorted out before the Americans leave the country. I hope they did get the refund in the end.

Just like meals and volunteer uniforms, transportation within host cities was the volunteers’ entitlement. In 2006 World Cup, volunteers were given a transportation pass with an unlimited ride on all public buses and trains during the World Cup in their host cities. This issue is not about comparing transportation infrastructure of host countries. The issue is about the rights of volunteers. So what happened in 2010 World Cup in South Africa? 

In Cape Town, many matches were held in the evening. Hundreds of volunteers came on match days to provide assistance to some 60,000 spectators coming to the match. Earlier in the day, volunteers were assured that transportation to their homes provided for after late matches (that finished at 10:00pm). When the match ended, hundreds of volunteers assembled at the pickup point. What waited for them were three 14-seat minibuses. Imagine the chaos, frustration and the delay!! How could these buses transport some 300 plus volunteers to their homes scattered around greater Cape Town area? One upset volunteer reported that he made it to home at 4am after the minibus traveled to the completely opposite end of the city first (that was after waiting in the queue for 2 hours).

What happened to all the brand new Hyundai coach buses allocated to LOC? How much money was actually allocated to LOC for volunteer transportation? This was more than a sign of disrespect; volunteers were deprived of their basic right. Imagine the LOC providing those brand new, comfortable, air-conditioned 61-seat coaches they received from Hyundai, the official sponsor of the World Cup. Is that too much trouble to arrange a few of those coaches to transport volunteers back home quickly and efficiently, showing at least some respect for the job well done? Alternatively, LOC could have just given them transportation allowance in cash (to the amount they are indeed entitled to).

On another note, do you know why the World Cup security guards walked off their jobs in South Africa? This happened right before my eyes in Cape Town. I still remember vividly when security stewards went on strike barely hours before the 8:30pm Italy vs. Paraguay match on the 14th June 2010. This unprecedented emergency called for 1000 police trainees sent to the stadium who weren’t even briefed on what to do. There was a big ‘security hole’ and many people without tickets got inside the stadium. It was simply “out of control”, even though it all appeared orderly and exciting with vuvuzela-blowing fans in the stadium if you watched on the widescreen TV.

The same incidents happened in Johannesburg and Durban. In Durban, Police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up a protest. Stallion Security condemned the treatment of the stewards, saying it was an example of "labour-brokering" and "greed". The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union's Western Cape regional secretary, Evan Abrahamse, said at least 1000 security stewards took part in the strike. "These people were sub-contracted by Stallion, and they were being paid R190 a day. But our people told us that FIFA said to them that their paid R650 a day," he said. Can LOC explain where this difference in salary went?

A security steward at Ellis Park said: "The reason we are still here is because they (Stallion) told us that their contract has been cancelled by world cup organising committee and they are going to pay us R250. They have given us no reason why they are no longer part of the World Cup. I don't know what I am going to do now. This is my only job."

In my 8 years of World Cup volunteering, I have never seen such harsh treatments given to perhaps the most important group of workers – the security guards. Neither did I see the entire stadium crew on strike on the match day, expelled by the police and forced to go home without jobs. After all, someone else exploited them and pocketed the money owe to them! The old adage is true. The love of money, especially when greed meets corruption, is the source of all evil and disorder!!

The biggest corruption problem, as British journalist – and author of the gripping book Foul! – Andrew Jennings puts it, is that the “unaccountable structure they’ve installed is honed to deliver the game to the needs of global capitalism – with no checks or restraints. Just “cheques”.

The FIFA World Cup 2010 is now an event of the past. I am grateful that I was able to visit the beautiful country of South Africa, made some great new friends, watched amazing football matches, and worked as FIFA volunteer. I am truly thankful for these incredible experiences that I was privileged to experience – not only once in South Africa, but three times over the past 8 years.

As for my future plans, I am not sure if I am going to volunteer at FIFA World Cup again in the future. I had wonderful experiences in the past, and it would be good to give others a chance. But I am still passionate about the FIFA World Cup. I wrote these blogs because I care deeply about it and people affected by it. I have been saddened to witness the gradual decline in the pure love and passion for the ‘beautiful game’ and the remarkable rise in the love of money through exploitative, manipulative and corruptive methods by the rich. However, this sad account by no means takes away all the great memories and friends of the FIFA World Cup.  

I know some of you who are reading my blog will (or at least hope to) volunteer in Brazil 2014. Enjoy all you can, the World Cup is really special. But also be mindful of some of the important issues presented in these blogs. And if you happen to be in a position of authority one day – either in FIFA or in LOC, please do me one favour – say NO to corruption. Be a leader who loves justice and cares for the poor and oppressed. The FIFA World Cup has a tremendous potential to enrich lives of both the poor and the rich at the same time, but only if done in the right way. My best wishes to all organisers and volunteers for Brazil 2014 and beyond.   

Season's Greetings..... Daniel

All FIFA World Cup volunteers are entitled to receive a complete set of volunteer uniforms on the first day they report to the volunteer centre. The kit consists of a (rainproof) jacket, 2 long sleeves, 2 short sleeves, a short pant, a long pant, 2 pairs of socks, a pair of shoes and a cap. Adidas has been the official supplier of the FIFA World Cup for many years and always produced tastefully designed volunteer uniforms that represent something unique about the country. The volunteer uniform kit is the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ souvenir for all participating volunteers, and as such it is precious to them. If you were a volunteer, you’d agree that your uniform is priceless!   

FIFA World Cup volunteer applicants are required to indicate their clothing size in their volunteer application. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the host nation gathers this information and passes on to Adidas for all successful volunteers. Why do they do this? Because it allows Adidas to produce the right number of uniform kits before the World Cup for effective and non-wasteful production and distribution.  

 
When volunteers report to the volunteer centre for the first time, the full volunteer kit was given to them. Adidas always produced a few extras on each size category to allow for exceptions, so even if the exchange was necessary, it was generally possible. I recall receiving a complete volunteer uniform kit in both Korea 2002 and Germany 2006 on my very first day. There was no drama. It was quick and easy. Within hours, I was fully dressed and ready to work for the rest of the World Cup. So why is this important? By taking care of the basic necessities of volunteers on Day-1, both the organisers and the volunteers can take their eyes off trivial administrative matters and focus solely on their work during the World Cup. By serving volunteers well on the first day, the LOC served themselves.

Unfortunately, this ‘tradition’ did not continue at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Let’s take a detailed look at what happened in Cape Town, as an example.

When volunteers arrived on Day-1, many received a uniform kit with bits and pieces missing. Others were told to come back in a few days (and when they actually did, there was still nothing to collect!). Did I hear that half of the uniforms were ‘accidentally’ sent to Bloemfontein in the beginning? If this statement was true, it might not simply be a matter of ‘accident’. As for me, I received no pants and no long sleeves on Day-1. After wearing jeans for the first week, I wore a women’s pants (L) for the rest of the tournament, so as many other male volunteers. Likewise, a number of female volunteers wore men’s S or M pants.

There was always a long queue of frustrated volunteers outside the uniform room every time it opened its doors, right to the very end of the World Cup! Volunteer management team spent a lot of time and effort in there, and I respect my team members for all the hard work they have done. However, without the real solution (right quantity of uniform in the storeroom) at hand, there was only so much we could do!! The frustration level of volunteers skyrocketed as the time went on. It is hardly a surprise that the uniform room was broken into and some volunteers stole items (of different sizes) out of frustration. Unmet basic needs only bring ugly consequences. So what really happened here? Why didn’t we have enough set of uniforms for everyone? This was unprecedented in the previous World Cups I volunteered in!

The hard question will need to be answered by the LOC. Did LOC crafted a list of uneven numbers  i regards to different sizes for their own profit-taking at the expense of the volunteers? It is LOC, not Adidas, that initially held the volunteer uniform size requirements in the FIFA volunteer database, as provided by the volunteers in their applications. By providing a very different sizing requirements to Adidas, and thus producing an unequal number of uniforms that would never exceed ‘demands’ in certain size categories, LOC could ensure a large quantity of leftover uniform items which accumulate more quickly in the storeroom, and eventually sent back to…??? If LOC provided the correct uniform size information to Adidas, instead of pursuing a new profit-taking methodology, a  lot of emotional drama and stealing on the part of volunteers could have been avoided altogether.

Well, let’s assume that the LOC indeed sent the correct list to Adidas from their database and Adidas produced the right quantities of all sizes. Hard to believe I know, but if that actually happened, another possible scenario would be LOC not releasing all the uniforms for distribution and keeping some for themselves (and their family and friends), blaming miscommunication or mismanagement etc in the process. Most of the volunteers needed M or L size uniforms, but interestingly they were the ones that we had the least of. Why would that be?  

After the last match in Cape Town, packing up activities were taking place. I went into the uniform storeroom to see if I could finally get a long sleeve top before leaving, but to no avail. Then I saw a lot of boxes of leftover uniforms (e.g. many XXL that most volunteers couldn’t wear) to be sent back to the LOC head office in Johannesburg. Those uniforms, like volunteer meals, were meant to be given to the volunteers. Yes there would be some leftovers if Adidas produced surplus items, but there were just too many boxes - a massive quantity. (Note: in Cape Town alone)

When volunteers needed to get dressed for work, many didn’t get the full uniform kit. Then, some  volunteers were told off by LOC staff because they weren't wearing the complete volunteer uniform from head to toe. Was it really their fault? After much frustration and constant chasing up, many were given uniforms  of different sizes to what they indicated in the volunteer application, often with a few items missing. Then when the World Cup was over, there were boxful of leftover uniforms ready to be sent back to the LOC head office. Who for? Does this practice sound just and fair to you?

As for my own experience, 2010 FIFA World Cup will go down in history as the only World Cup I volunteered wearing a women’s pants. I never received any long sleeves because my size wasn't available. My heart goes out to all 2010 FIFA volunteers who suffered the emotional rollercoaster ride and wasted a lot of time because of their uniforms - their basic rights as volunteers. The old wisdom is true - prevention is always better than cure.  When corruption runs rampant, there is only so much people can do to minimise its impact. Poverty reduction will always be a big challenge unless fighting corruption is a central element of any development efforts.

FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa was a gold mine for big corporations to score some big profit. Is it wrong for big corporations to make great profit during the World Cup? Of course not, as long as they do their business responsibly and ethically. However, when they chase after mega-profit through exploitative, corruptive and unjust methods, the people at the bottom of the pyramid suffer even more and the inequality of society only intensifies. 'Being resourceful' and 'being greedy' are two very different things.

For those of you who read my previous blog “McFIFA World Cup” would understand that McDonalds, in strategic (?) partnership with LOC, were set out to make great sales through well-crafted volunteer meals. Thousands of volunteers lined up to get their BigMac meals (or McChicken) every day. An unprecedented method of ‘feeding’ volunteers (or more precisely, ‘feeding’ McDonalds Corporation) was introduced in this World Cup.

So what about Coca-Cola? Let’s take a detailed look at what happened in Cape Town.

Just like volunteer meals, there were no drinks given for the first few days. A rough calculation shows that = 3 drinks x 1600 volunteers x 4 days = 19,200 drinks unaccounted for. While the exact number may be different, it is easy to see what kind of number we are dealing with here, even just for a few days. Imagine someone giving you 19,200 bottles of Coke varieties. How many years worth of supply is that for you? Note: some volunteers received one can drink (non-Coke brand) per day for the first few days, along with a small chicken burger and 5 chips!

Then here is the funny part. When Coke drinks finally arrived for us to stock up in the fridge and issue to our volunteers, there were an uneven number of products. About 70-80% drinks were

Cokes, and only 20-30% were other soft drinks such as Sprite and Fanta, very few were bottled water!! The net result was that many volunteers were ‘forced’ to take 2 or 3 Cokes, since they had no other choice and bottled water ran out very quickly. Many were thirsty. During my assignment in volunteer management, I often worked in the canteen issuing drinks to volunteers signing in for the day. I really felt for volunteers who didn’t want to take 3 Cokes and wanted to get some water. But there was no more water in the fridge. There was no choice – it was either "take it or leave it".

So how does this uneven distribution benefited LOC or Coca Cola (or both?) Some volunteers don’t drink Coke at all, others didn’t really want to take 3 Cokes each day. The lack of option meant that there were some Cokes not taken up by the rightful owners, numbers added up and eventually transported to … somewhere??

Does anyone remember what it was like to drink a warm fizzy drink? Not a great taste for sure, particularly when you are thirsty!! In this World Cup, we lacked a good system to issue the drinks. Initially volunteers were asked to take all 3 drinks at once upon signing in. Ok, so you drink 1 Coke, and carry 2 extra Cokes in your bag. After 5 hours, you open your bag, and get your warm Coke out…. Yikes! I would gladly drink up if it were just plain water, not fizzy drink!

So why am I highlighting this issue? Because I know how this was done in previous World Cup events – it was not exploitative, unjust methods to profit LOC or FIFA sponsors. In 2002 Korea/Japan, volunteer centres had an ‘open-door’ policy, meaning volunteers could open the fridge and help themselves with any number of drinks, anytime! There were always an even number of all Coke products and they were regularly replenished to ensure their ‘evenness’. One would think it’s crazy not to place any limit on the number of drinks volunteers can take each day. But surprisingly when the LOC treated volunteers with such trust and respect, people did not abuse the system. Most people drank about 3 drinks per day. I still remember my favourite drink, the gold Powerade, which I had every day! I never felt thirsty during my shift.

One would argue that such systems might not be culturally feasible in South Africa. OK, then let me tell you how it was managed in Germany 2006. In Frankfurt where I was based, each day I was given 3 yellow plastic tokens as I signed in for the day. They were my drink vouchers. Whenever I got thirsty, I went over to volunteer cafeteria (yes, a cafeteria, not McDonalds), surrendered one token and got my cold drink straight out of the fridge!! Sometimes, I felt OK with only two drinks, so I saved one token and used it next day. This ensured that drinks were always cold and you could request it when you actually want to have it. Collected tokens were then re-issued next day. Simple, effective system that worked like a charm! Again in Germany 2006, there was always enough number of all varieties, not just Cokes.

It is also worth noting that the sports drink "Powerade" is probably one of the most expensive products in the Coke family (but only slightly) but it is the best 'thirst quencher'. In 2010 World Cup, I didn’t see any Powerade drinks for volunteers, only Cokes and other soft drinks (which are cheaper). Nice cost saving measures, allowing the differences to be used for, let’s just say, other purposes. There was an alternative way for volunteers to get a Powerade drink - walk down to McDonalds and use your R60 meal vouchers to buy one from McDonalds. Ayoba time for Coca-Cola, McDonalds and LOC!

Some volunteers in 2010 World Cup suffered due to lack of options when it comes to drinks. Other were simply frustrated, often not taking their share of extra Cokes. It was uneven and unfair.  Sadly, their abandonment (systematically imposed, not voluntary!!) was someone else’s gain.

Soon after accepting the volunteer offer in April 2010, I discovered something quite exciting both in the offer letter and in the volunteer manual. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) stipulated in the volunteer programme that volunteers would receive a stipend of R100 per day based on the number of days worked!

Wow!!! Even though this may seem a small amount of money to some people, I know things like this can be a huge moral booster and seen as a token of appreciation shown for the volunteers’ time and efforts. In my previous FIFA World Cup events as volunteer, I do not recall receiving a stipend. This was something new altogether. It was something volunteers could look forward to. When you work for free as volunteer, every dollar (rand) helps.

Time has flown by quickly. All the good things must come to an end. Team Cape Town successfully hosted its 8^th and last match, the semi-final (Uruguay vs. Netherlands). It was all over for us volunteers as well. Standing long after the match ended inside the stadium, I recounted all the great memories, new friends, fun and excitements of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was truly an emotional moment. Despite some setbacks this time round, being part of the FIFA World Cup as volunteer was a great privilege with great experiences to be cherished. This overwhelming feeling was something I could never describe in written words. After 8 years as FIFA World Cup volunteer, it became something so dear to my heart. People can come together without any boundaries to share the same passion and rejoice in the beautiful game.

As for volunteer experience, it was a mixed bag at this World Cup. But all the negative moments just melted away as I walked out of the stadium with gratitude for being part of the FIFA World Cup once again. I said goodbyes to many new friends, including all the LOC staff of Volunteer Programme who worked tirelessly in the highly stressful environment.  

Then the time came to collect my stipend to complete all formalities. I already informed them of my ‘fixed’ departure date months in advance and also reminded them a couple of days before the last match, which was also my last day as volunteer. I was told to wait in the long queue, so I waited patiently. When I finally got to talk to Saki, the staff in charge of dispensing the stipend, he told me that the stipend is not yet ready and that I come back tomorrow. You gotta be joking!!! I am leaving the country tomorrow!!! He told me to check the FNB card at an ATM the next day (this was 7^th July) and if the money is not in by 11am, just come back to the stadium to collect it in cash.

All of sudden, this left a bad taste in my mouth. For some reason, I just knew the money wouldn’t be available on this FNB card next morning. But again I patiently did what I was requested. On the day I should have finished packing and get ready to head off to airport, I checked the FNB card at the ATM and verified that indeed that the money was not paid (surprise, surprise!!). So barely hours before my flight departed, I called a taxi and rode like a cowboy to the Green Point Stadium. One could easily imagine what a panic this last-minute process creates! Who on earth needs to do this kind of de-tour when you have an international flight to catch within hours???

So I went in, again waited patiently and finally asked to sign some paper and collected the stipend in cash. To calculate the amount of money owed, Saki asked me “how many days did you work?” Shouldn’t it come from the database where LOC so religiously recorded all the volunteer sign-in and sign-out signatures? I don’t mind people confirming but it seemed the information was either unavailable or not being used at all.

Barely a few hours before my flight departed, I received R1600 in cash (no tax deducted). I left the stadium in a hurry. I then gave much of my stipend to my South African friend on meals and airport transfer, because I didn't have enough time to do proper shopping to buy souvenirs for my friends and family back home. Later, I found that many, if not most, other international volunteers had similar experiences.

One of the international volunteers was again called to collect it from the stadium hours before leaving and even worse, Saki could not get cash ready for her in time so she had to nominate her SA friend to collect on her behalf and had to rush back to the airport empty-handed. So why call her to come to stadium in the first place? Imagine how frustrating this could be just hours before your flight departure. She didn't want to burden her SA friend, and after 1 month of constant chasing up, she finally got the money. But she was already out of SA long ago!!

While she can get her money via electronic transfer, Rands are best to be spent within SA and during the World Cup so all the stipends could actually help South African economy while international volunteers can buy nice World Cup or unique SA merchandises and take back home. This poor handling by LOC actually did more harm than good to country's economy and created ill-feelings after the great event ended.

Moreover, some international volunteers got taxed and others didn’t. How unfair and inconsistent is this? When one of the volunteers explained to LOC that all the ones who got their money in cash did not get taxed, they simply responded, “all of them got taxed” with the ‘we-don’t-care-anymore’ attitude”. That is not true LOC!

As for local South African volunteers, it was from bad to worse. Their payment was ‘mysteriously’ delayed several times before finally got paid on 15^th August (and some were given invalid cards, others with incorrect, *smaller* amount than what they are entitled to).

Was it just another ‘miscommunication’ or ‘mismanagement’? Well, let’s think about it. LOC already allocated certain amount money under the ‘Volunteers Stipends’ category many months before the World Cup as communicated to all volunteers. If, for example, 15,000 volunteers worked 15 days on average, that is 15,000 X 15 days X R100 = R 22,500,000. The overall allocated budget may be different but this gives you a pretty good idea what sort of money we are talking about here.

Now imagine this money sitting in an FNB bank account with a 6-month term deposit (or other special cash investment), accruing interests. You can do the maths. It is a nice income for anyone who will get hands on the interest alone. The longer the money is in the account, the more the interest.

After collective action from volunteers leading to several newspaper articles highlighting “World Cup volunteers not paid” and numerous phone calls, the LOC hastily issued the email to all 15,000 volunteers, including international who already received and left the country, notifying the payment schedules.

So after waiting for so long, the payment has finally happened for most volunteers. But now it was FNB’s turn to cash in some profit. When FNB cardholders check for the amount in the account R1 is immediately deducted. If they wish to withdraw the whole amount R16.50 will be deducted as service fee. This can only be done at an ATM which only pays in multiples of R10. The balance, which cannot be drawn, remains in the account and FNB scores all the way!!

One of my friends worked 24 days and only received R900. Another volunteer worked 20 days for R825. There are numerous volunteers who didn’t get what they should. Some even received invalid FNB cards with no money!! Now, the LOC timed the distribution of the stipend to ‘coincide’ with the closure of LOC. Who is going to resolve all these outstanding issues now? Some volunteers will just give up out of frustration, and once again LOC will score more profit from it, like the way they did with volunteer meals. This whole volunteer stipend was the well-calculated carrot for LOC’s own profit making right from the start. It was crafted for the wrong purpose.

Reflecting on my previous World Cup volunteer experience, both in Germany 2006 and in 2002 Korea/Japan, volunteers did not receive any stipends. So just because we received some money this time, is this better, no matter how it affected volunteers? What is really ironic is that I spent far less money during the previous World Cup events (in more expensive countries) and ended up leaving with a lot more souvenirs and gifts from LOC and other merchandisers, even without receiving any stipends. What matters is respect and sincerity, more than money.

No amount of money can ever appropriately compensate all the emotional drama tens of thousands of volunteers went though at this World Cup. It was not a stipend, it was ‘strip-END’.

Quoting one Durban volunteer: “These people have just left a sour taste to this wonderful event. I hope all the LOC members of the whole SA know one day what they actually did. It was my first time volunteering and my last time. It’s sad but true”.

Quoting one Cape Town volunteer “The memory of the 2010 World cup was special and a historical moment. Yet the volunteers were told they would get paid one day, then on another day until finally the day dawns, you find out that you did not get what you signed for and no one seems to know who you challenge on this issue. The work is done, your service is no longer needed, so who cares what happens after that. That sucks”.

When the right time comes to publish a book that includes all these volunteer stories, I will make sure that the very first copy arrives at Danny Jordaan’s office.

The goal of this initiative is to highlight unspoken issues so that it may assist FIFA, LOC, fans and volunteers with better World Cup in the future, not to mention some of these will make an interesting reading!

If something gets done about your issue as a result of the book, it will be a bonus! So let's speak out!