Sports

S/Africa 2010: Legalise Sex Trade For World Cup – Health Specialist

Published

15 years ago

October 18, 2009

Fear of spread of HIV infection football fans sparks demand for registration of South Africa prostitutes.

Calls are growing for South Africa to legalise prostitution ahead of next year’s football World cup in an effort to limit HIV infection among millions of fans visiting the country for the tournament.

A leading health specialists to the Tidesports source that the World Cup presented a huge risk and said there was an urgent need to start registering prostitutes and screening them for the virus. It is estimated that 50% of the country’s sex workers are infected.

Professor Ian Sanne, head of the clinical HIV research unit at Johannesburg’s Witwatersrand University, said the party atmosphere being touted by the football authorities, travel companies and the South African government was a green light to school abuse and promiscuity among fans next summer.

Around 3.2 million tickets will be sold for the matches. A million will go to South African residents, with the rest split between international fans and sponsor. Twenty thousand England fans are expected to head for South Africa, where those without tickets will be catered for with huge screens and temporary bars across the country.

Sanne said not only would the visitors be at risk, but young South Africans and sex workers too, opening the way for the virus to spread at a dramatically increased rate.

“HIV/Aids is a problem globally and there is a great need to encourage and enforce better health and responsibility, especially to the young South Africans who could be at risk during the World Cup,” he said.

He called for legal frameworks to regulate the practice of sex workers rather than discriminate against them.

Interim legalisation of prostitution would be best for the country, rather than leaving it uncontrolled, said. “Sex workers need to register with a board that will regulate their practice and give certification to practice, but they have to go through a mandatory HIV tresting process first, and only those who test negative will be allowed to practice.”

South Africa is the centre of the global HIV epidemic, with more than five million adults infected. An estimated one in two of working prostitutes is living with the virus an dthe lack of medication led to a quarter of a million people dying of Aids-related illnesses there last year. The antiretroviral medication that helps prevent HIV devleopming into ful-blown Aids is being taken by fewer than 30% of those infected.

Infection rates among women aged 15 to 24 declined slightly from 22.1% in 2007 to 21.7% 2008, but among women in the 30 to 34 age group, the infection rate was 40,4 in 2008.

But while Sanne said authorities should use the World Cup as a platform to raise awareness on the need for testing, Aids/HIV campaigners responded furiously that it would take concern for foreigners rather than its own citizen to make the South African government act.

“The clear way forward to help tackle the tens of thousands of women forced into prostitution through poverty is to legalise it now, not to make it a temporary measure for the World Cup,” said Vuyiseka Dubula of the Treatment Action Campaign.

We need preostiution decriminalised now so we can start to help these women, many of whom have been abused and brutalised from a young age.

Former South African police commissioner Jackie Selebi, now suspended over corruption allegations, caused widespread dismay when he first susggested legalising prostitution and public drinking for the duration of the World Cup, arguing that it would free his officers to deal with security, but the issue is hugely contentious in a country where the sex trade is regarded as immoral and un-acceptable.

A spokesman for the FA said: They (English fans) will all be issued with guidance along with their tickets and we are working now on how best to communicate the dos and don’ts in South Africa to people. But the FA can’t be responsible for all the English people travelling to South Africa next summer.

Sports

CAF Postpones CHAN To August

Published

5 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the postponement of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), originally scheduled for February 1, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, to August 2025.
The decision followed recommendations from CAF’s technical and infrastructure experts, who reported that more time is needed to bring the facilities in the host nations up to the required standards for a successful tournament.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, in a statement on yesterday, January 14, 2025, expressed appreciation to the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda for their support.
He emphasised that the postponement is intended to ensure adequate planning and infrastructure readiness for the competition.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda for their leadership, commitment and the good progress that has been made in building and upgrading the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for hosting a successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024.
“I am impressed with the ongoing construction and renovations of the football infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. I am confident that the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities will be at the requisite CAF standards for hosting, in August 2025, a very successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (“CHAN”) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024″, he said.
However, the exact date for the completion was not disclosed but the CHAN 2024 Draw is scheduled for Wednesday 15 January, 2025 at the iconic Kenyatta International Conventional Centre, Nairobi.

Sports

Chelle Sure To Qualify For 2026 W’Cup

Published

5 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

New Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has expressed his desire to lead Nigeria to the ‘pinnacle of world football’ starting with the ticket to the 2026 World Cup as he takes the reign of the three-time African champions.
Chelle was unveiled on Monday at a brief ceremony at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja by the Nigeria Football Federation, one week after his announcement as the 37th coach of the Super Eagles.
He was handed a two-year deal with an option to extend if he gets the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket.
Since his appointment last week, the NFF has constantly hammered the coach’s task of leading Nigeria to the tournament which will be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico despite the precarious situation of the Eagles in the qualifying series.
After four rounds of matches in the series, Nigeria are fifth in Group C with just three points having only drawn three and lost one.
To avert the danger of missing out on a consecutive FIFA World Cup, the Eagles must win all their six remaining matches in the group or even hope for favourable results in other ties – a task Chelle fronted at his unveiling.
Asked if he would take responsibility at the end of the qualifying campaign, the ex-Mali coach said, “If you want to be a great coach, you need to take some risks, you need to make some sacrifices.
“I want to be in the history. The first thing, I need to talk to the players. I will be a big brother. It is my prayer that we are going to the World Cup.
“I want to thank my agent, the NFF, the NSC and indeed all Nigerians for this big opportunity. Coaching the Super Eagles of Nigeria is an amazing job; I do not take this appointment for granted. I am elated and will do my utmost best.”
For most of the reactions that have trailed his appointment, the rallying point was his enterprising and attacking style with the Mali national team at the AFCON, which he emphasised he would be bringing to Nigeria.
“Football is about scoring goals, so I favour an attacking style. I know the expectations of Nigerians and I will settle down and work diligently with assistants towards the goal of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The 47-year-old also relished his long-time dream of getting the Super Eagles job, having been a fan of the Nigerian national team in his boyhood.
“Nigeria’s team is more than a team. When I was young, this was my favourite team. I owned a shirt; I watched all the games at the World Cup in France. I was in Marseille and it was my team.
“From this very moment, I am already hard at work. My goal is clear: to restore the Super Eagles to the pinnacle of world football, where they truly belong. This will require hard work, discipline, and a strategy that is both ambitious and realistic. I will rely on the exceptional talent of our players, whether they play at home or abroad, and build a team that reflects the unity, strength, and excellence of Nigeria,” the coach added in a social media post.
Chelle, who took Mali’s Aiglons within breathing distance of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, left his job at top Algerian side MC Oran – 1989 African Champions’ Cup finalists – to team up with the Super Eagles.

Sports

Gokana Chairmanship Cup Symbol Of Unity Peace – Chairman

Published

5 days ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

Gokana Local Government Council, Chairman Hon. Monday Dumiye has said that 2024 Gokana Chairmanship Cup symbolises unity, peace and love for Gokana people.
Hon. Dumiye said this during the grand finale of the 2024 Gokana Chairmanship cup titled “Unity Cup” as the fourth edition of the Chairmanship Cup ended last Saturday at Kpor, the council headquarters.
He expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara for his tremendous support, most especially the peace Rivers people are enjoying including Gokana LGA.
He also applauded members of the local organising committee of the tournament and all those that contributed towards the success of the championship.
He hinted the huge crowd witnessed during the tournament shows peace has come to stay in Gokana,saying that it has been his intention to ensure that there is peace ,unity and togetherness among the people.
” Without peace we all know that there will be no meaningful development. I want to say that it is the first of its kind in the annals of the people to use the instrumentality of sports to develop talented Gokana youths.
“The mamoth crowd you are seeing here today shows our people have embraced peace. This is exactly what we intend to achieve uniting our people through sports.
On his part, former Super Eagles player and current coach of Rivers United, Finidi George, commended the Gokana Chairman for organising such a wonderful tournament for the youth.
He advised the chairman to form a formidable team from the tournament, admitting the unprecedented crowd that witnessed the championship shows that the chairman is on the right direction.
The Leader of the Simplified in Gokana, Hon. Friday Beema thanked the Chairman for his zeal to develop Gokana.
He also commended the Rivers Governor forgiving them well focused Chairman who reason like him.
The leader called on the people of the area to support Governor Fubara for the development of Gokana.