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As I celebrated Good Friday quietly alone at home – for the first time in many years without my fellow congregants – I took time to reflect. And one thing that struck me was how we South Africans tend to have selective memories.
I think we choose to forget what we’d rather not remember.
This came to mind after reading the story about three former media executives who were charged with corruption, bank fraud and money-laundering this week regarding the scandal-tainted bidding war for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups.
It brought back sad memories of our own World Cup-related scandal, which has since quietened down.
The three men currently in the spotlight are accused of paying millions in bribes to officials from Conmebol and Concacaf, the governing bodies for football in South America and North America, Central America and the Caribbean, respectively.
It’s alleged that the bribes were paid for lucrative TV rights contracts for regional competitions, the Copa America and qualifying games for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
An unsealed superseding indictment released on Monday also detailed corruption surrounding the 2010 vote in Zurich, which saw Fifa award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
According to the indictment, former Brazilian Fifa member Ricardo Teixeira and the late Paraguayan official Nicolas Léoz, both members of the Fifa committee that voted on the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, received payments to vote for Qatar’s bid.
In addition, Trinidad’s long-serving Fifa official, Jack Warner, “was promised and received” bribe payments totalling $5 million (R90 million) to vote for Russia, while Guatemala’s Rafael Salguero was promised $1 million to vote for Russia.
Salguero pleaded guilty to multiple corruption charges in 2016 and was subsequently banned by Fifa, while Warner – who faces charges in the US – is currently battling extradition to that country from his native Trinidad.
The case forms part of the wide-ranging 2015 corruption scandal, when Fifa officials allegedly paid Warner $10 million to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. The furore left Fifa in turmoil and led to the downfall of its president, Sepp Blatter.
Obviously, there was more to it than was ever explained. Ten years later, we still haven’t found closure on the thorny issue of that $10 million.
What’s worrying, though, is how easily we seem to have overlooked it. Even government has side-stepped the issue, a sign that someone, somewhere, knows something. We, the public, deserve closure on this matter – and that will only come when the truth is finally told.
Did we buy votes for the 2010 World Cup? How did that happen? Who was involved? Who gave the mandate to do it? Who was carrying the briefcase? And who knew about this transaction? All these questions need to be answered. If someone arranged the bribe, let them come out and say so. After all, we’re a forgiving nation. We’ve forgiven the former National Party for its atrocities during the apartheid era.
But unfinished business leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Even the issue of the alleged fixing of Bafana Bafana pre-World Cup friendly games hasn’t been resolved.
Do people want to take their secrets to their graves? That’s not the kind of closure we want.
We know Charles Dempsey (may he rest in peace) betrayed us regarding the 2006 World Cup, but we’ve moved on.
As we celebrated a quiet Good Friday, it was a timely reminder that even Jesus forgave His betrayer, Judas.
But forgiveness only comes after admission. The 2010 World Cup scandal can’t simply be swept under the carpet. The truth shall set us free.
Follow me @TimspiritMolobi
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