I once attended a derby match between South Africa’s top sides, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, in the historical township of Soweto.
Thousands had converged on Orlando stadium with vuvuzelas in hand.
The arena was filled with the constant ear-splitting and rasping sound of the plastic blowing horn. And it was not music to my ears.
The vuvuzela did not give me the adrenalin I feel at Zimbabwe’s Rufaro Stadium watching my favourite side Dynamos play.
But in Africa I am in the minority on this matter.
It also did not inspire fans from across the world who attended the 2009 Confederation Cup in South Africa. The world was astounded at the loudness of the vuvuzela and immediately called for it to be banned from matches.
It is a fact that television viewing has been a nightmare in the tournament. This is in part due to the fact that the vuvuzela is drowning out the chanting and songs of supporters as well as the commentary.
This is the first World Cup in which commentators have needed a sound proof booth and TV technicians have needed a handbook entitled ‘How to deal with the Vuvuzela’.
Many fellow Africans have secretly admitted to their opposition to the vuvuzela and the fact it has become a pain.
I am all for expressing passion and excitement, that’s what a World Cup is all about. But the vuvuzela is killing those aspects of the game, at least for the billions watching on TV.
And it's a shame it is taking so much attention away from the action on the pitch, both by its droning sound and by the fact that everybody is talking about it.
However, I am not ignorant of the traditional value of the instrument that was first introduced to South African soccer in 1990 by a Kaizer Chiefs fan.
The horn is symbolic in most parts of Africa. Traditionally made out of a horn from a kudu – a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa – the vuvuzela was used to call together meetings and could be heard over a great distance.
Africans in general, and South Africans in particular, find rhythm in the sound. It reverberates with energy and results in the animation of soccer fans.
But to me, the vuvuzela is just one big sound that does not alternate to follow the emotions of a game. It does not differentiate between Wayne Rooney’s bad performances or Lionel Messi’s magic footwork.
It’s one sound and a sound I can do without.
