A vuvuzela is a large plastic horn that African football supporters blow to cheer on their team. At the 2010 World Cup the South African hosts have declared it the official instrument of the tournament and encouraged everyone to use them as much as possible. When lots of them are played together they make a low buzzing noise that some people have compared to the sound of an angry swarm of bees.
Watching on TV I have say that I was able to filter the sound out without really noticing. Since I've had it pointed out to me I actually find the noise quite relaxing and really like the Vuvuzelas. I'm clearly in a minority though because since the tournament has started lots of the, mostly European, nations have been bombarding FIFA, who run the tournament, with calls to have vuvuzelas banned from the matches.
Some of them are feigning outraged because they genuinely believe that the vuvuzelas are being used to intimidate visitors to South Africa.
Others, like Britain, already know that the vavuzelas are really being encouraged to add atmosphere to matches that aren't particularly well attended. They also know this leads on to a inflammatory debate over wealth inequality between blacks and whites in post-apartheid South Africa. This is a generational problem that the South African government is carefully and patiently solving. In fact I would go so far as to say that by provoking that debate now they are trying to create a volatile situation in South Africa where one doesn't really exist. Plus it's a bit embarrassing for nations who people are hardly queuing around the block to see.
To their credit FIFA have told all these complainers to bugger off and the matter is now closed.
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