WHEN the government, politicians and other opportunists first mooted and then embarked upon the bid to host the 2010 soccer World Cup, the merits of proceeding with the massively expensive project were all the buzz and were a hard-sell, touting tourism, job-creation, foreign investment and all that other stuff.
It is the list of “arch facts” which got to me and vindicated my scepticism. The roof and arch alone is said to constitute a R488 million contract. I suppose that, with all the design, fabrication, transportation and erection logistics involved, we’re probably getting it for a song! But look who got so many of the jobs:

Company awarded the contract - Pfeifer, a German specialist firm;

Construction of the arch - German-based Krupp;

US-based Birdair will install the roof members.

How many South Africans are directly employed by these three concerns in their respective scopes of work? Why were the various contract phases not awarded locally? Let me guess.

South African firms were invited to tender, but the BEE criteria necessary to qualify are such that the tenders would be top-heavy and to remain competitive perhaps a little too lean to allow for bribes and backhanders.

Affirmative action has resulted in the departure from our shores of the last competent engineers and designers.

Perhaps there is some truth in the job creation part of the big roof deal and South Africans are being employed. Perhaps many of those our government’s racist labour policy has chased away are gainfully and very happily employed at Pfeifer, Krupp and Birdair.