Squatters' Protests Threaten 2010 World Cup

South Africa is only 92 days away from hosting the first World Cup on African soil and realizing another one of Nelson Mandela's dreams for his country.

The host nation has built gleaming new airports, tourist accommodations, roads and has invested 13 billion Rand  (roughly £1.15 billion) in magnificent stadia as it gets ready to welcome thousands of football fans in June.

By hosting this football mega-event the nation is hoping to break away from its stereotypical image of poverty and inequality and showcase South Africa as an economically vibrant, safe and tourist friendly nation. All this could go terribly wrong, as township dwellers in South Africa might revolt.

The shack dwellers have threatened to lash out in front of the tourists and cause utter chaos. It is speculated that the police might even have to flood high risk areas to protect the tourists from the demonstrations, which are usually violent and include burning tires and pelting of stones. As one of the squatters said, " soccer means nothing to us because we won't be able to watch it anyway, since we don't have electricity."

The government however, having  budgeted 1.3 billion Rand (£113 million), is confident about the security measures at the World Cup. This summer's tournament cannot get rid of South Africa's problems like high crime, unequal wealth and the highest number of people living with HIV, but it can definitely transform its image. South Africa has invested so much politically, emotionally and financially into the World Cup that one shudders to imagine how crushing a less than perfect World Cup would be.