Should Africa bid for the Olympic Games?

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While the Football World Cup may have been a huge success in South Africa, it is worth noting that this event falls into the African National Congress' 'glamour projects' and fails to take into account that the vast majority of South Africans would have preferred housing, clothing, education and healthcare.

Further, with less than 8% of our population paying any form of income tax, this waste of money (50 billion South African Rand) should far rather have been spent on the basic needs of our population who live in dire and abject poverty.

Wanting to host the Olympic Games that will cost ten times that of the World cup therefore a folly.

Of course they should. They need a new revenue stream, and since AID is no longer the news it used to be, perhaps they too can accumulate a staggering debt that can be written off. Much rather build stadia than schools, roads, hospitals, power stations, etc. But what do I know, having left there in the aftermath of the 1994 elections and all the broken promises of politicians? Every country that hosts the Games is left with a legacy of debt, but at least they take the opportunity to upgrade or improve the country's infrastructure. Africa has yet to understand that the development of the country should supersede the interests of the ruling elite. The World Cup has not improved the life of a single impoverished person in South Africa. But don't take my word for it - ask anyone who lives there. Or you can read the objective reports in the media, who have no agenda to project!

I think South Africa deserves the right to host the 2020 olympic games considering their facilities.If they have been able to host the fifa 2010 world cup successfully, what shows that they cannot host the olympic games?

Lets face it,South Africa has the facilities and is probably the only country in sub - Saharan Africa with the capacity to host the Olympics. Granted, the whole exercise is very costly for any country and as for the profitability of hosting the Olympics,we have to keep in mind that some of the benefits will not be immediately evident,but in the process the image of the country will hopefully be enhanced thus benefitting sectors such as tourism. I imagine that with the type of world class stadia that we saw on our screens South Africa will surely be able to attract other major events in future.I would hope that as Africans we would all support South Africa in its bid to host the games because these would be OUR games as the African continent.

Yes, go for it South Africa!! We can do it, although it would cost more than the world cup, I think.

Absolutely only if it can be made profitable. South Africa values positive perceptions of the country inordinately only because the world is full of expats spreading gloom and doom.

In reality we have nothing to prove and lots to lose.

Africa should definitely bid for the 2020 Olympic games. The success of the just concluded World cup is a clear testament that we are capable of hosting international events. Apart from the economic gains, it will help to change the perception and views about Africa by the outside world. SA and other African countries should view favourably with other countries for the 2020 Olympic games. It was projected recently that if the 2014 world cup is hosted by the city of Boston in the United States, it will generate between 400 to 600 million dollars for the city.

The Olympic game is a Pan-Hellenic festival in ancient Greece consisting of athletic games and contests of choral poetry and dance, held on the plain of Olympia in honor of the Olympian Zeus. In today's context, it is clearly a projection of European cultural imperialism. If truly the Olympic Games are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes from across the world participates, the name should be replaced with 'intercontinental sports' or something along that line.
Only then should Africa offer to host or participate in the sporting event.

Certainly not. We are already in debt as a result of the world cup. and there are rising tensions among the poor about lack of service delivery, a education system which is failing those who cannot afford private tuition and public health care system, which is in shambles. There are far to many impoverished law abiding citizens who are tired of waiting for promises which are never kept. While we spend billions on building redundant infrastructure they will never even go into, which their merger taxes have paid for. It is time we started to look after our own - rather than spending billions of rands on lavish sporting events. What would you say to your people if they asked for food and you said sorry we spent the money on booze ,chips and cigarettes?

When you say Africa, do you mean Black Africa, Arab Africa or the whole continent? Olympic rules say that only one city in one country can bid for the games so 'Africa' can't bid.

So the question is 'should an African City bid for the games?' and in which case which. No African city outside of South Africa can support the games both financially and with the infrastructure required. Lagos, too corrupt and polluted. Cairo, to hot and again not rich enough. The same for all the rest, but Capetown could probably do it now.

Africa must definitely bid,to reconstruct and redefine the worlds perception about us.I believe the olympic is a stage to reveal your culture and natureand no continent can match Africa on that.If it is about capability South Africa has shown the world we are Capable.

The question is understandable given that the Olympic Games awarded by the IOC are supposed to go around every Continent symbolised in as many rings of its banner.

The truth, however, is that South Africa is likely the only African country able to stage such mega events.
I would think it is too soon to get carried away by the success of World Cup 2010.
The Olympics are considerably more complex in every aspect and would therefore require a lot more planning, investment, premises and logistics.

South Africa should now carefully examine the costs/benefits left behind the departing FIFA.
FIFA pockets a huge amount in both money and prestige following its African gamble.

For the football body it surely paid off, generously.
For South Africa, besides the intangible gains, sums still need to be worked out to full detail and final figures.

Bidding for the 2020 Olympics is prematurely raising the stakes too high for a country that badly needs to exercise balance every step of the way.

The world cup held in my country South Africa, was undoubtedly a great success. As indeed the holding of the Olympic games here in 2020, will equally be.
The only thing that marred the world cup in South Africa was the usual greedy crop of ANC politicians at all levels of the government, who chose again to use millions of rands of taxpayers money to purchase world cup tickets and paraphernalia, for them selves and their family members. One can only imagine whatthese out of control politicians will get up to during the Olympics as they usually make the UK expenses scandal look tame in comparison.

While it is good to show off the hospitality of a nation, its something else to bankrupt a country the has its share of problems. The world cup was a good event, but the money could have been used to fight HIV or something else. I was born in Sudan but live in Canada. The week before the world cup nothing was been shown on TV other then the slumps and poor neighborhoods surrounding the venues. I do not mind for South Africa to host the Olympics; however, I ask President Jacob Zuma to look at Greece before he makes any decision. We do not have European Union "African union" that is capable to rescue South Africa.

Yes....As an African I would welcome it, But Maybe Durban....Johannesburg, people will say its too high, and bing inland...the water based sports will be an issue...Cape Town Weather in Winter just Sucks. Which leave me with Durbs....

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Of course---Africa should bid for the Olympics Games!

But, here is my questions:

a) Which country will host it?
b)The cost of it will be a burden to that country?
c)Security and safety in the host country?

"Yes why not? They did the world cup very well, why not bid for The Olympics all of Africa will become a great place for world sport, a great place to bring people together,in peace this will be much better for everyone in the long run . There is no benifit for any African person buying guns and weapons. With this new way of peace and sport will hopefully bring many jobs, and give a new life to many.

Yes! As a Nigerian I will like the IOC give it to us. We have got the topography, we have got the serene weather. But for corrupt officials who syphon our fund into private purse, what we make in pecuniary gain in a day can host two Olympics consecutively.

yes its good to hear that,since south AFrica host the world in foot ball that means we are up to task and is a clear evidance that we can host olympic games. so that africa join other continent in hosting such events in the world. GO AFRICA!!!

If the Olympic games cannot show a profit for the host country, then it must be due to the ridiculous number of activities that need to be conducted. Aside from the 'synchronised swimming' which is just downright silly, they should condense the disciplines into those which conform to the Olympic motto 'Highest - strongest - fastest' and if they do not conform, drop them. Take weight lifting, for example, or swimming. There is only one strongest weight lifter and one fastest swimmer. What is the point of awarding a gold medal for swimming with one hand tied behind your back? Or lifting a weight in 3 distinct movements?
Clean up the silliness that has been allowed to proliferate and get back to basics. Then the games will benefit Africa.