CAF is a joke, but...
Mmegi Editor | Monday October 2, 2023 06:00
We are told of massive spin-offs for hosting countries, which we assume was the catalyst behind putting in the bid.
We are not too sure if it is a one-size fits all, where any hosting nation reaps the benefits or it’s on a case-by-case basis.
There are arguments from both ends, with hosting a sure way to accelerate infrastructure development and a guaranteed cash flow during the 30-days of the tournament.
There is a bump in employment creation during the construction and upgrade of facilities which stimulate economic growth. On the flip side, massive projects are usually a fertile ground for corruption to thrive. In addition, the utilisation of the facilities beyond the 30-days is not guaranteed as most turn into white elephants.
The maintenance of stadia is expensive, with Botswana, had they won the bid, expected to spend no less than P500 million annually in the upkeep of the facilities. The other argument is that the cash flow would be like a flash flood, mostly recorded in the period during the hosting, with the elite, the biggest beneficiaries while the general public feeds on crumbs.
That as it may be, the die had already been cast and Batswana were expected to rally behind the decision to bid regardless of their earlier misgivings. Botswana will feel hard done by dealings at CAF. The arrival of respected businessman, Patrice Motsepe, at the helm of the continental body was expected to restore credibility to an organisation torn apart by years of mismanagement and corruption. But judging by the handling of the 2025 and 2027 AFCON bids, concerns still remain.
The bids for the 2025 and 2027 tournaments were haphazard, with the public unsure of who was in the contest until the very last minute. CAF failed to adhere to its own deadlines, appearing to allow endless horse-trading in a bid to stroke the egos of bitter political rivals, Morocco and Algeria. Botswana was caught up and the bid committee, led by Ashford Mamelodi, said it did not want to upset the applecart by asking CAF uncomfortable questions over this arrangement.
The facilities inspection report, carried out by reputable audit firm, PriceWaterHouseCoopers is not made available to the bidding countries, while the results of the final vote, are not publicised. It is this shocking lack of transparency at CAF that lends credence to widespread concerns of corruption in the awarding process.
But that said, we feel not much ground work was done prior to Botswana making a decision to bid. It felt like a bid that came years too early. Crawl, walk and run in that order; don’t attempt to run before you crawl.
Today's thought
“Don’t lick your wounds unless you care to taste the sting a second time.”
- Richelle E. Goodric