World Cup local organising committee chief Danny Jordaan’s reported comment on a possible ban on the noisy vuvuzelas has caused quite a stir here.
Fans, local and foreign, are aghast that an instrument that symbolises South African football may be taken away. Even though an LOC spokesman, Rich Mkhondo, has reiterated that the plastic trumpets are not under any threat, many fans aren’t convinced.
Tebogo, a South African fan, said football and vuvuzelas were inseparable in her country. “I just cannot imagine attending a football match without a vuvuzela in my hand. The mere thought of banning vuvuzelas at World Cup stadiums is crazy,” she added, after a brief demonstration on how to blow the metre-long instrument.
Jordaan had told BBC that vuvuzelas “will be banned if there are grounds to do that.” Complaints from French players and broadcasters, apparently, provoked Jordaan into making a statement that has hurt the sentiments of hordes of home fans, who take pride in flaunting their horns. The quotes of the World Cup CEO are construed to be a PR disaster here, coming as it did from a South African.
For those who aren’t been accustomed to the sound of vuvuzelas, attending World Cup matches is a novel experience. The noise is similar to the croaking of frogs. Imagine spending an evening at a lakeside house, with thousands of frogs working their vocal cords full-time. Soccer in South Africa will not be same without the constant buzzing.
Fans from other countries have also taken to the trumpet in a big way. Children love anything that produces sound and few are seen without vuvuzelas at various World Cup venues. Elders, too, are smitten by the South African soccer symbol. The World Cup has also broken the colour barrier here, as whites are blowing merrily on an instrument that is widely perceived to be the preserve of blacks.
Kyle Junkuhn, an Afrikaner, cannot understand the logic behind Fifa’s “killjoy” plans. “I will be terribly disappointed if Fifa contemplates taking the fun away from our event. Fans are using vuvuzelas sensibly. For instance, the trumpets aren’t blown when national anthems are played. I don’t find the noise disturbing at all. Players cannot complain about something which is integral to our culture,” he added.
Armin Junkhun said French captain Patrice Evra’s complaint about the noise is “nonsense”.