Vuvuzela, Zakumi the Cheetah and Winnie Mandela

August 5 2010 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #David Fagbohun, #Football, #South Africa, #Travel News, #vuvuzela, #Winnie Mandela, #World Cup 2010, #Zakumi

You guessed it a vuvuzela.

Throughout the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, David and I were texting each other several times a day, he giving updates from his three weeks in South Africa, me giving him the 'home' perspective. However, for the most important question, he called rather than text me to ask ...

"Do you want a vuvuzela with the South African flag on it or one with the countries of the World Cup on it?"

From the picture on the left you can see I opted for the flags of all the 2010 World Cup countries.

Once in my hands I remembered the tips from weeks of listening to vuvuzela tips on breakfast Radio 5 live; I took a deep breathe and blew (click here to hear the sound a vuvuzela makes)

"Wow! You know how to use it" David said. "It took me ages, while South Africans laughed at me."

Along with my vuvuzela I have a new house mate, Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup mascot with attitude. I thought he was a lion, but he's a "... jolly, self-confident, adventurous, spontaneous, and quite shrewd" little cheetah.

Still jealous of David's World Cup experience

David had a great time in South Africa, starting his journey in Johannesburg, where he watched Nigeria lose to Argentina, then on to Bloemfontein by coach (417 miles) to watch Nigeria lose to Greece, then on to to Durban where Nigeria drew with South Korea.

Between games, he made many new friends from all over the world, visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, watched local dances and strolled a Durban beach.

Listening to his stories and looking at his photos, his excitement at attending the first football world cup on African soil, washed over me, I was happy for him but still intensely jealous. But he saved his best story for last.

Gatecrashing in style

Between a match David took a drive to Soweto where he was meeting one of the many new friends he had made. He was driven to Soweto by a taxi driver who had helped him out many times during his stay, he told the driver he wanted to go to Mandela House, a visitor attraction, and the leading centre for the preservation, presentation, and research of the history, heritage and legacy of the Mandela Family. His new friend misheard him and dropped my brother off at a house full of people.

As soon as David entered the compound, he thought he was in the wrong place. Unsure he asked the person he met where the tour was taking place."Tour? What tour?" came the response. David now knew he was in the wrong place, but he had no idea where he was. He called his friend who was waiting at Mandela House, wondering where David had got to.

"You're in the wrong place," his friend laughed, "but where are you?"

Still on the phone, David asked another person, for the address, only to receive a shock - he had gatecrashed Winnie Mandela's home, during the memorial for her great-granddaughter, Zenani Mandela, who died on the evening of the World Cup opening ceremony. After giving his friend the address, he was invited to stay and wait for his friend to pick him up. While enjoying refreshments and answering questions about his life in the UK and his thoughts on South Africa, there was commotion. an elderly women appeared. She was quickly surrounded by people before disappearing into a waiting car. The woman was Winnie Mandela.

"What a story ", I said, "forget the World Cup, you can dine out on that story for years."

If you or anyone you know has an accidental gate-crashing story, please share.

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