The first, a column in which I argue that the right to strike amounts to legalised blackmail, and it needs to be balanced with the right to fire. It sparked some interesting discussion in the comments over at The Daily Maverick.

Then, I wrote a piece about a local employer who had built a flat for his Malawian foreman, who refers to it as his “asylum” from xenophobic threats to his life. It was published by the Christian Science Monitor.

And finally, this morning, I woke to the news that the South African IT company that I most closely followed during my time as a technology reporter was to be sold to Japan’s NTT. My thoughts on the Dimension Data deal published at ITWeb. For once, I have reason to be nice to the company that was the butt of so many jokes over the years.

Thanks for all the comments on the orange dress. Time for a return to normality, now that the World Cup (and therewith the Boycott FIFA series of columns) is over.

The specific column in which I made the commitment can be found here. There’s a selection of my columns on the subject of FIFA in my previous post. Do read them, if only for an explanation of my uncharacteristic garderobe.

Well, it is final day, and Holland is playing in a final for the first time in 32 years. Therefore, I’m making good on my promise. Here are the official photographs. Photo credits go to my friend Tony Nathan, of Nathan Studios. My thanks also to Trish Nathan for being an invaluable stylist. (Click through for larger versions.)

Go ahead, laugh. It’s all worth it just to be able to watch Oranje challenge for the 2010 World Cup.

To shed light on why I might do such a thing, here’s a summary of what led up to it. In essence, my columns have argued that we should boycott FIFA and its sponsors, for having hijacked our government, gained special rights including not paying tax, excluded South African businesses from the World Cup bonanza, and generally having proven themselves to be corrupt, exploitative and downright racist. These columns also contain the caveats: South Africa will (and did) run a great World Cup, and there’s nothing that stops us from celebrating that, or supporting our national sides. FIFA might own us, but that doesn’t mean we should act accordingly.

This is a selection of my columns on FIFA, as published at the always excellent online news magazine, The Daily Maverick.

5 January 2010: Boycott FIFA — It’s 2010. Adverts blare from every TV and radio telling us how marvellous the World Cup will be. Why, because FIFA hijacked our government?

20 April 2010: Who is ripping off whom? — South Africans are being admonished not to gouge tourists. But we’re not the real FIFA World Cup profiteers.

1 June 2010: The FIFA conquistadors are coming! — The moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived. Fifa is in town, with its batallion of jackbooted lawyers. Assume the position.

15 June 2010: Secretly, Match blames South Africa — The contempt in which Fifa and Match hold South Africans is astounding. Still, we’re an amazing country.

22 June 2010: I ordered an orange skirt — Who is incapable of hosting a World Cup now? While South Africa sails through with flying colours, FIFA stumbles at every hurdle.

6 July 2010: FIFA’s heart of darkness — With the tournament’s climax upon us, FIFA has shown its true colours: one of condescension, greed and ill-disguised racism.

So, to honour the commitment I made after the second round of group-stage matches, long before it was in any way clear that the Netherlands really would make it to the final, I have procured an orange dress, along with the necessary accessories. I have ordered Bavaria beer, in order to annoy the FIFascists. I have retained a non-FIFA-approved stylist and a retired glamour photographer who used to ply his trade in Soho, London. None of my expenditure will go to FIFA or its sponsors.

The product of these efforts will be published right here, on Sunday 11 July 2010. During the final itself on Sunday night, I will be wearing the orange dress at Bosuns Pub & Grill, on George Rex Drive in Knysna. I trust you will not embarrass me by actually swinging by for a laugh. I will be cold, not to mention ruthlessly mocked by the regulars. But for Holland’s first final in 32 years, it’s all worth it.

Meanwhile, in more macho territory, a couple of Dutch fans arrived at my local in Knysna last night, on their way to Cape Town. They had with them a load of donated shirts and other goodies, and asked if we could arrange an early morning match in a local township. Of course we could. South Africans can arrange any match, anywhere, anytime. Click on the image for more pictures of this morning’s impromptu football in White Location.

The Daily Maverick: Secretly, Match blames South Africa

It is also archived on the Boycott FIFA website, which links to all my columns about FIFA, along with other news and resources on the World Cup exploitation of South Africa.

Well, though I think the Gautrain is pretty cool as big engineering projects go, it still doesn’t mean public works projects are a good idea, or that this one is free of its questionable aspects. Besides, I find organised “national pride” a repellent idea, which reminds me of the fascist indoctrination we suffered at school under the old National Party.

I prefer critical thinking to mass hysteria. I prefer to celebrate the achievements of individuals, not nations.

So, my take on the Gautrain, over at The Daily Maverick: The stupendous Gautrain, a rare marvel!

My other columns on FIFA have been collected in a previous post: Boycott FIFA

I will have more to write concerning FIFA and Match, some of it in their own damning words.

PS. Here’s a #boycottFIFA ribbon for your Twitter avatar or Facebook profile picture.

Boycott FIFA explains why I’m doing so, and that this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the football, support our national team, or welcome our foreign visitors.

A few weeks later, an idea was floated to extort money from bars and restaurants who show the football. Because no court would sanction such a law, it was quickly scaled back to cover only venues that didn’t already have a liquor licence. Still, at R50 000 for a licence to serve liquor while showing the football on TV, it’s outright extortion. This was my initial reaction: Really, boycott the FIFA farce.

While everyone was getting shrill about the late Eugene Terre’blanche and young Julius Malema, it occurred to me that even if marketing was the only benefit we derived from the billions we spent on the World Cup, what exactly would we be marketing? Division? Racism? Anger? While FIFA takes over, we fight.

Among the reasons for objecting to FIFA’s presence in South Africa is the fact that local businesses, who were supposed to benefit from this expensive shindig, are not only being excluded, but are being unfairly accused of price gouging. The only people ripping off foreigners are FIFA and its exclusive marketing partner, Match Services. Only, the foreigners won’t know this, and they’ll blame us. Who is ripping off whom?

These are among the many reasons why South Africans should avoid supporting FIFA and its sponsors. They are exploiting a country that can ill afford it. Instead, support anyone who isn’t associated with FIFA. Help them turn this economic disaster into an opportunity, however small it may be.

Update: I’ve just created a Twitter ribbon (or “twibbon”) for your avatar, and a Facebook sticker for your profile pic. Show your displeasure with FIFA’s exploitation of South Africa. Get your #boycottfifa twibbon now.

I know my mother reads this, and I know she told me not to be mean about cyclists. Sorry, mom.