JOHANNESBURG South African Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa has defended the vuvuzela telling foreign football fans not to fear the plastic instrument that he said was not a weapon of war. The vuvuzela is a plastic instrument that produces a loud bray and is commonly used by fans at soccer matches in South Africa. FIFA has said it will allow the devices in stadiums in the coming tournament, despite reservations from some foreign players, broadcasters and fans.
Mthethwa last week told a media briefing at Cape Town International Airport that as the Soccer World Cup drew nearer, the police had been taking tips from overseas security agencies on cultural issues.
Europeans were “sensitive” when it came to vuvuzelas, he said. “It’s our noise, its part of us, it’s an expression of appreciation. It’s an instrument of jubilation. So if somebody does not understand that, there may be a problem. “If you pick up a vuvuzela and you start making a lot of noise, you have heard what has been the response from Europe.
“Our response is that no, you don’t have to worry, it’s not horns for war, it’s just horns of jubilation. “These people are happy, they are in a jovial mood. And that is why they are using these. It takes an African, a South African, to understand that.”
By the same token, there might be particular actions from European or Asian fans that were not threatening, but that might be interpreted wrongly by Africans, he said.
Post published in: Football