Condom Supply for the FIFA World Cup 2010
With the football World cup now less than a week away the authorities in South Africa are taking all possible steps in ensuring that they make the event absolutely secure for the fans and tourists that are assembling in the country in big numbers.
The security of teams and fans remain a top priority, yet that is not where it ends as millions of condoms are being distributed throughout the cities set to host the World cup games.
The rainbow nation has one of the highest rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection rates, with at least 5.7 million out of a population of 50 million possibly infected from the disease. Considering this vulnerability the host nation faces, it is encouraging safety off the pitch as well as on the pitch.
The authorities in the Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth have taken the lead role in the task, distributing millions of condoms to visitors and residents as a safety measure during the month-long tournament.
The alarming situation can be gauged by the fact that as many as 1,000 people die every day of AIDS-related illnesses in the country.
An estimated 350000 attendees are expected to arrive in Port Elizabeth, a city considered to be at a very high risk of the disease. Eight matches of the tournament will be held at the city's Nelson Mandela Bay stadium. Arguably, the soccer World Cup is to the s*x industry what the holiday season is to candy and gift shops. Influxes of excited people feeling collectively festive are assumed to be willing to pay for a bit of extra indulgence.
South Africa's Drug Central Authority estimates that 40,000 s*x workers will trickle in to the country for the event from as far as Russia, the Congo and Nigeria to cater to the wide taste spectrum of some 400,000, mostly male, visitors and their soccer needs.
As generally is the case with a high profile sporting event, the festivities won’t be expected to be restricted just to the pitch, and so municipal authorities are on the guard.
Officials at Nelson Mandela Bay municipality have declared that that they have already received 1.2 million condoms and they are expecting another supply of 1.2 million next week.
"We received 1.2 million condoms from the provisional government and we distributed since the 25th of May... and next week we are expecting another 1.2 million condoms and we confident we will be able to distribute and make sure the people are safe during the World Cup," municipality spokesman Kupido Baron stated
"Of course everybody is excited that we will have all these big names in the international soccer coming to the city but we don't want them to forget that safe s*x is very important and while you stay here we would like you to encourage everybody to be safe when they taking sexual intercourse." he added.
Baron added that the condoms would be available in all governmental institutions, clinics, business centers, hotels and other community facilities.
Matyolo welcomed the step by the municipality and described it as progressive step. South Africa has the world's largest HIV caseload with 5.7 million people carrying the virus, according to the UN AIDS agency.
Luyanda Makapela, flag seller in one of Port Elizabeth streets conceded that the country is at a very high risk of HIV and they would not want the fans and players suffer, as they want them to have an enjoyable time both on and off the field during the biggest sporting event of the year.
Even President Jacob Zuma, who considers himself a polygamist, father of at least 20 children and an infamous condom sceptic, isn't taking any frivolous chances with the World Cup either. During his official visit to the United Kingdom in March, he asked the government to supply 1 billion extra condoms to South Africa before the upcoming tournament.
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