Vuvu...what?

It might have escaped the notice of some, although they would have to be on an abandoned planet in the depths of nowhere with no electricity or contact with the rest of the universe, (or in the United States of America) that the Southernmost Colony is hosting a massive sporting event from today onwards, an event that will be beamed across the galaxies and into the homes of gazilllions of people, fans of ball kicking or not.

And if one thing is sure, it is that beer swilling will increase exponentially, but in the Southernmost Colony only hops-juice from a certain 'we're not really interested in saa-cker' nation, may be consumed at stadia, in stadia, near stadia or within reach of stadia, much to the disgust and dismay of the makers of said beverage who actually make a better brew than that sponsored by 'you know-who'. And so I won't mention Castle or Lion Lager...or the hundreds of ice-cream sellers, biltong sellers, koeksuster sellers, cool-drink sellers and flag sellers who are, for the duration of the great event, banned from making a living by 'you-know-who', who have a monopoly on all goods and services offered at stadia, in stadia, near....you get the picture.

So the Southernmost Colony has burst forth into a cacophony of sound and colour and national pride, and long may it last, I say. Despite the pretty poor odds of the national team doing anything other than going out in the early stages, to a collective groan and blaring of trumpet thingies, at least they'll all have a stonking good time while it lasts. Not only that, they will forever be the team that scored the first goal at this event, even if all they could manage was a draw...not bad at all Bafana.

I wonder if the waving of multi-hued emblems and flags and the fluttering that abounds along every road, highway, dirt track and pathway will indeed do something to repair the fractures that exist in the Colony, or if it will simply fade away into memory like the glory days of Invictus.

Once the last whistle has blown, the final ball has been kicked and fans from the New Planet have returned in despair or jubilation, depending on how many more players fall over, break a metatarsal or an ankle or tear a ligament, what happens to the Rainbow Colony then? I fear that the rich will be richer and the poor will be exactly where they are today, but in possession of a vuvuzela and for a moment the thrill of possibility...but maybe I'm wrong. I hope so.