3 beers - that'll be 2 years

A German soccer fan was given a free blanket at a recent World Cup game in South Africa -  I guess that means its getting cold over there in the evenings. After the game his free blanket and 3 beers he had were allegedly stolen from him by a local man. This man was charged and sentenced that day to 2 years in jail. Yep -  two years in prison, he is 21 years old. 

I am going to presume a few things here - 

• There are more blankets being given out to wealthy western soccer fans than to South Africans living in poverty
  
• The German soccer fan reported the 'crime' to authorities
• The local man was treated extremely harshly because his 'crime' involved a foreigner and that just won't do with the cameras rolling

We saw it in Beijing, now we see it in South Africa -  when will the world enter these countries, celebrate sport, bring their cash and actually pay attention to what is happening for locals in these places??? South Africa has established 56 special 'World Cup' courts to deal promptly with matters. Government spokespeople say matters will be dealt with as they always are in the country -  I do not think that a local person would have pressed charges over the theft of a free blankets and some beers in plastic cups (again, I have presumed the plastic bit).

I don't want to be negative nancy and I get that there are many benefits from hosting globally watched sporting events and I don't think soccer fans should have to become MSF doctors on their days away from the arena. But I do think the international media, national sporting associations and in some ways, high profile players who want to have an obligation to shed some light on the abuses and realities of the country they are in. Images of gorgeous scenery, exotic animals, laughing children playing soccer in the dirt with no shoes and smiling hospitality staff are being beamed into our lounge rooms but I have not seen little to no reporting on poverty, racism, violence, homelessness... A bit of balance please. The Cup should have a positive lasting effect on the country and its people.