Why So Much Negativity?

Can someone please answer why every story on South Africa and the 2010 World Cup being run on television is Australia takes such a negative approach? Most of the issues that have been and are being raised have existed in the country for a number of years, it is not like they have suddenly been discovered, so why the sudden interest?

As someone who travelled to this country extensively for 12 years, it is extremely sad. South Africa is a wonderful country with, in the majority of cases wonderful people. It has a set of problems that are different to any western country due to the oppression of apartheid, and a period of transition. What is so remarkable is that following the elections in 1994 and the official end of Apartheid, there were not more problems. Those in charge deserve immense credit for that, as do the Blacks, Indians, Asians and Coloureds who suffered so much under the old regime.

It is a shame that we have to highlight all the negative issues rather than celebrate the achievements of a country reborn. How many countries highlighted the bad side of Australia leading into the 2000 Olympics – and let us not sweep things under the carpet, we too have areas of which we should not proud.

If these journalists and television stations are genuinely concerned about these issues let us see how much coverage they give them once the World Cup Caravan leaves South Africa?

Is the negativity aimed at South Africa, if so it could be damaging to trade relations, as it has been so one-eyed and negative, or is it a chance to take a swipe at the World game, and try and suppress the coverage it has gained in the last five years?

Then again maybe we are overreacting, but we hope that the tournament is a raging success and theses doomsayers spend the whole world cup having to trump up stories as the local African people give the World an event the like of which we will never have seen before.