Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has addressed the xenophobic violence in South Africa, saying it hoped the 2010 World Cup could help to overcome the divisions that are evident in the country today.
FIFA spokesperson Delia Fisher Wednesday said FIFA was ‘obviously concerned’ about the outbreak of violence that has left several people dead.
However, she said it was not FIFA’s policy as a sports federation to comment on matters of national sovereignty and domestic affairs.
There are growing concerns that the outbreak of xenophobic attacks could impact on South Africa’s staging of the 2010 World Cup.
In the latest developments, President Thabo Mbeki has given the go-ahead for the military to assist police in containing the violence in Gauteng.
The situation was reported to be “tense but calm” in the province Thursday
