One of the striking sights in the stands at Soccer City and the fan fests was the makarapa, a uniquely African, colourful hardhat with creative carvings on themes about football. <table style="width: 137px; height: 262px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="137" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2010/jun/miner-hat.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> A fan in the makarapa hat</td></tr></tbody></table>The makarapa is destined to become an enduring icon of South Africa 2010 as fans take it to heart. There are some who feel that it won't be long before it captures the imagination of style gurus and takes the European and American fashion runways by storm. Locals say the makarapa -- essentially a miner's protective hat -- has long been a standout in the local townships from the early 1980s but the World Cup has triggered its full-on commercialisation, which will help boost the indigenous industry. Can you feel it "Feel it. It is here." That's the signature slogan of the African National Congress. And last night, in Johannesburg, the spirit of football raged through the city as the World Cup kicked off. South Africa's ten stunning World Cup stadiums are not the only venues where fans can congregate in their thousands to experience the live match atmosphere. The 'eleventh stadium', as it is dubbed, is the FIFA Fan Fest. As wekk as the nine host cities in South Africa, six iconic world cities also joined the party. When Siphiwe Tshabalala fired then hosts into the lead, the Fan Fest at Innes Free Park in central Joburg erupted with a wall of noise from a sea of vuvuzelas. "I can feel it now," screamed local fan Salomi as she hugged a complete stranger. The fan fests are destined to be one of the high points of South Africa 2010. Pilot Travolta Hollywood star John Travolta flew into South Africa on Thursday and mingled with Australia's Socceroos yesterday at their base camp at Kloofzicht Lodge, outside Johannesburg. Travolta has had a long-running association with the Australian team since their remarkable World Cup qualification in Sydney in 2005. A professional pilot, he is always involved with the Socceroos' major sponsor Qantas as an ambassador. Twitter woes FIFA President Sepp Blatter has started tweeting his thoughts in cyberspace even as the Dutch squad has been banned from using the social messaging service after striker Eljero Elia made a racist slur against one of his own friends. During an internet chat and an online game, the Hamburg star described one of his friends as a 'Moroccan cancer', prompting the response that he was a 'nigger'. The exchange was posted on the internet and sparked controversy in the Netherlands. Elia apologised for the incident, claiming it was pure banter. But the Dutch team management want to take no chances and have imposed a ban on the use of Twitter by the team.

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One of the striking sights in the stands at Soccer City and the fan fests was the makarapa, a uniquely African, colourful hardhat with creative carvings on themes about football

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