South Africans shocked by World Cup scandal

A bitter taste has been left in the mouths of South Africans by the allegation by US prosecutors that bribes were paid to host the 2010 World Cup.

Nelson Mandela was seen as instrumental in South Africa hosting the first tournament on African soil.

Many people I spoke to in Johannesburg believe it was his "Madiba magic" of the anti-apartheid hero that clinched the bid - and that South Africa proved itself by putting on a good show.

"People are always going to talk bad, especially when South Africa or Africa has done a really good job hosting the World Cup," a young man in his twenties said.

"I don't think there's any scandal in us hosting the World Cup. If there is, will the evidence stand in court? That's the question."

And according to South African officials, it will not.

The late Nelson Mandela helped South Africa's bid to host the World Cup

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula was unequivocal in his denial about the alleged $10m (£6.5m) bribe mentioned in the US indictment.

"We are not in any way involved as government in the transferring of illegal money for the purposes of the 2010 World Cup," he said.

Mr Mbalula confidently told reporters that the financial statements before and after the tournament received "a clean audit" from the auditor-general.

The US indictment states that the South Africans "were unable to arrange the bribe for the payment to be made directly from government funds".

It alleges that it was then arranged through Fifa using money that would have been paid to South Africa to support the global event.

The indictment also mentions an earlier incident when a high-ranking South African bid committee official allegedly handed over "a briefcase containing bundles of US currency in $10,000 stack in a hotel room" in Paris to a co-conspirator of former Fifa Vice-President Jack Warner - who has denied all the allegations.

'Afro-pessimism'

It is these details that have shocked many people.

The 2010 World Cup was seen as a success

"It's really sad. But the reality is, this is Africa and it's the sort of thing we've come to expect," a businesswoman said.

But an official from the South African Football Association insists the bid was run by "men of integrity", including Nelson Mandela.

Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Mr Mandela during apartheid and is now an anti-racism campaigner for Fifa, was also clear that corruption should never be tolerated.

When I pressed him about whether he was ever aware of any wrongdoing during the 2010 World Cup, his answer was quick.

"I used to be a member of the Local Organising Committee. The books were very, very clean."

Some South Africans tend to play the race card when criticised - believing they are being singled out simply because they are Africans. They feel that Afro-pessimism is at play even in this case.

But what they are reluctant to recognise is that this is a wide-ranging investigation about Fifa, and not about South Africa in particular.

There are many other countries that are also implicated in this scandal.