Mascot

Zakumi, the mascot of the 2010 FIFA World CupThe official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is Zakumi (born 16 June 1994 (1994-06-16) (age 15)), an anthropomorphised leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name comes from "ZA", the international abbreviation for South Africa, and "kumi", a word that means "ten" in various African languages. The mascot"s colours reflect those of the host nation"s playing strip – yellow and green.

Zakumi"s birthdate coincides with a day known and celebrated as Youth Day in South Africa and their second group match. The year 1994 marks the first non-racial nationwide elections in South Africa. He will turn 16 in 2010. Andries Odendaal, from Cape Town, created the original character design.

Zakumi"s official motto is: "Zakumi"s game is Fair Play." The motto was seen in the digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and it will also appear at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

A contract for the manufacture of Zakumi figurines was awarded to a company owned Dr. Shiaan-Bin Huang, who is an ANC representative member in the South African parliament. The manufacture of the figurines was outsourced to Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products in the PRC. The value of the contract was in excess of USD 112 million[citation needed]. Due to concerns over the loss of jobs in the South African manufacturing sector, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has suggested that more 2010 merchandise be sourced locally.Allegation of sweatshop conditions at the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products factory led to an audit by Global Brands Group (master licensee of the Fifa World Cup 2010 brand), which revealed a number of non-compliance issues with GBC policies. The manufacturer denied the allegations of sweatshop conditions and claimed that the working conditions at the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products factory were "very good"

Source: en.wikipedia.org