German football fans get a taste of what to expect in 2010?

Question

Notice how the SA Media are trying to cover up the murder of an Austrian ex Footballer on a so called "safe " estate and the robbery of the German National Team Manager, Oliver Bierhof.
This is what they saw in Germany:
The Austrian who was shot is an ex football player, Peter Burgstaller, but did not belong to the FIFA delegation. He was obviously shot in a holdup at a private golf course while he was doing some golfing exercises there alone. FIFA president Josef "Sepp" Blatter then started commenting on the horrendous crime rate in South Africa. And it is also true, that Oliver Bierhoff's briefcase, containg two cellphones and his passport, has been stolen while he was breakfasting at the hotel. But there seems to be no link between the shooting and the theft, and no link to the football championship. I didn't see the interview with the white couple, however, but the rest was broadcast on several news channels, and also reported in newspapers; here's a link to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German) found via Google News:
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,tt3l2/sport/…
(reported around 7 hours ago)
The newspaper also states (without quoting a source, however) that there are 50 murders a day in South Africa.

I just viewed Germany's main evening news broadcast, the "tagesthemen" on public TV. (They're available on the internet; I missed them on TV this evening.) They already shortened the original report: Now there's only the report about the murder (you see pictures of the golf course where it happened), part of the interview with Blatter, a short notice about the security measures in Durban (1,000 additional police), and the main message now is the result of the drawings. The theft is not even mentioned any longer, nor did they show interviews with any South Africans.
You can watch it here (Flash required); even if you don't speak German, the pictures tell enough:
http://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/send…
("Video starten" means "start video")

Additional Details

Zim - All over the World? It wasnt on in the UK. Doubt if it would find an audience unless you enjoy the Pub Teams up Putney Marsh on a Sunday morning.

Cakes - I wasnt suggesting the Germans were covering up but the SA police and Media were. They described him as an Austrian "Tourist" yet he is a well known footballer.There was no mention of Oliver Bierhof being robbed until it broke in Germany.
However, the point I am making is the lengths to which the ANC and surrogates will go to try and cover up the truth - that this World Cup is going to be a nightmare and should never have been placed in South Africa.

Ayiza - England will qualify but more interestingly I wonder what odds the Bookies will give me that Bafana dont score a goal far less get a point. I would think 4/5.

Zim - Broadcast in 43 European Countries according to your link -not all over the World. I was unaware of it in the UK but it is hardly likely to take precence over the EPL. In fact most English fans think Kaiser Chiefs is a Rock band.

Marrs Attack - Still trying to cover up the sick Society of South Africa by pointing fingers. The Media in South Africa did try and cover up the murder and theft as did the Police who continue to do so and lie through their teeth. Many Germans will avoid SA in 2010 as we give the Country and its violent savages more publicity. Still missing Cape Town? LOL. And onlt fools believe Wackypedia.

MJ - You need to see a Proctologist "crime is everywhere." Not on the scale of South Africa. 80 people were murdered yesterday in South Africa and God knows how many women were Raped --- Yawn. You talk crap about Germans and the World Cup - show me the link. 2 Italians dead in the last 6 months. Some crisis compared to South Africa when your thugs murdered an Austrian on Saturday. And those kids in London. Can you mention the race of the perpetrators? Foreigners?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Sorry, Alf, I don´t feel like checking your link. We watched the draw on TV with German translating, and they did mention the murder and the theft. So it was not played down. Everyone who watched the draw, has heard of the crime(s). The German commentator made a good job of putting SA in a good light, and did his best not to concentrate on the crime etc. They also lightly touched the AIDS issue without any reference to beetroot and garlic, but did emphasise Mbeki´s stance on the subject. There was also a bit of mocking, the commentator mentioned that Mbeki was very attentively following the ceremony, but added that he wondered how much Mbeki was actually understanding !!
But our daily newspaper has the murder as headlines in the sport section. Quote: "Murder opens discussions on safety in the Cape" ("In the Cape" is a general phrase for South Africa here in Germany). The paper mentions that, in 2006, 12 202 murders took place, more than 52 a day. The amount of serious robberies was quoted as 126 558.
There was also mention of the theft of the Briefcase and Cell phone during breakfast.
And, yet, they say that they have their full confidence in SA despite these crimes, even if it is rather difficult at the moment.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Blatter and co are so deep into the fraud and corruption that saw it go to SA they have to defend it. However, Blatter has said that after 2014 in Brazil FIFA are abndoning the Policy of rotating it around the Continents. Clearly the SA experience has scared the crap out of him.

Answer 2

I'll wait to see that in SA media...then I'll comment..... REASON: It would be very odd that SA media doesn't write about the incidents........while I'll question the stories if I found them not plausible.....I'd rather see them in SA newspapers......

......BTW....did you watch that world-class football match dished by Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.....It was broadcast all over the world......and they didn't disappoint....


**ADD***

Alfie….you are a disappointment……I relied on you to report back but you didn’t even bother to watch the game….YES, it was televised all “over the world”……you know that Europe is the “world’ of football…….and it was definitely shown live in Britain………

See this story…… http://www.southafrica.info/what_happeni…

Answer 3

You have nothing to worried about because you are not going to qualify.

Hie! hie! hie!

Looooser *note the cpital "L" on your forehead*.

Answer 4

As it turns out he was a friend of Frans Beckenbauer and a former professional keeper for an Austrian club.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Stor…

In the German article, even Bierhoff mentioned that there will be "a lack of mobility for players and fans" under the current atmosphere of crime in SA.

How much more will be excused away under the pretenses of a good cause?


xx add xx

Just to add something interesting I read in an Italian newspaper yesterday evening, under the sports section (they may as well call it the football section),
the journalist went on to describe South Africa as "very frequentable since the time of Mandela" and Durban's "beautiful coastline protected by shark nets".

This really highlights some of my concerns (other than the obviously dysfunctional shark nets) which are - that some folks in Europe have no idea about the type and frequency of crime in SA.
The Italians for example are used to bad government, bad driving and petty crimes, when there is one murder here (like the football fan, or the English student in Perugia) it's on the news for weeks.

Serious question: "Don't the potential football fans from around the world deserve to be educated on crime in SA and how to keep themselves safe during their stay in SA?"

Answer 5

Phaleese its not just these crimes that are played down, there are so many others that get swept under the "rug".

The goverment are wearing their blinkers and armoured vests and carry on because they are safe.. aren't they?

Answer 6

If the German fans think they can get pissed at night after the game and run around town. Think again the Highjackers,muggers, rapists will spook them .

Answer 7

You are sorely mistaken if you think that the SA media is trying to cover up the event.Its all over the news papers.
Even more ludicrous is your assumption that it will put people, especially German football fans off from coming to SA because of this.Worst things have happened at German public and sporting events.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_mass…

http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index…

Answer 8

Yawn....... crime happens in every country! I seem to recall the Germans fans rioting in a World Cup and fans were killed as well as the infamous "hooligans" and of late the Italians have been pretty vicious.... maybe if they come to SA the homegrown panselas will sort them.........

What do you get out of this? Like, 24 kids have been knifed and shot in London this year by other kids, so is the Olympics under threat?