South Africans not buying FIFA World Cup 2010 football tickets

Cabinet spokesman Themba Maseka said they expressed concern at the latest cabinet meeting that South Africans were not buying tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Confederations Cup football matches - foreign fans might predominate.

Briefing the news media after the cabinet's closed-door forthnightly meeting, he said they expressed concern 'that South African are not purchasing the tickets." They feared that the 'stadiums would be filled by soccer lovers from other parts of the world with very limited South African participation.' see Special protection for Dutch football fans: The South African authorities are going to extraordinary lengths to draw foreign football fans - even arranging special security measures for Dutch fans during the matches in negotiations with the Dutch government's embassy personnel who fear that fans would be attacked and mugged at football venues in the crime-ridden country without such special protection. Local activists - angered by the ANC-regime's poor management of their municipal services - have also promised massive protest campaigns at all the tournament venues. see and see More money needed to market tickets in South Africa "Extra measures would have to be put into place jointly with the local organising committee to ensure that the Confederations Cup later this year and the World Cup finals were marketed to South Africans," said Maseka. "My own sense is that not enough money has been set aside by the LOC to market these two tournaments to South Africans and the host cities themselves are not doing enough to do this marketing," he said. Thus far, only 20 percent of Fifa Confederation's and 2010 World Cup tickets sold so far had been purchased by South Africans, LOC head Danny Jordaan said on Tuesday. They claim that the foreign sales however were 'going well', although they could provide no statistics. Ticket sales started by FIFA from 20 February - but South African residents ca also register to buy tickets at the First National Bank branches in South Africa. The FIFA propaganda says that 'the fervour is already palpable within South Africa and all around the world: everyone wants to take part in this extraordinary event. "Our ticketing policy has been drawn up to reflect our determination to ensure that FIFA's flagship competition is accessible to all football fans. We hope that you will come and enjoy the game!" said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. FIFA also does not say how the sales are progressing. see