Ten members of the world football governing body, Fifa, are among more than 130 VIP visitors who have accepted invitations to attend President Thabo Mbeki’s inauguration as president in his second term of office, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Sunday.
”At this stage it’s a total of 41 heads of state, nine heads of government, 50 heads of delegations at ministerial level, 23 resident delegations [mostly diplomats based in South Africa] and 10 representatives of Fifa,” Mamoepa said on Sunday afternoon.
Other international organisations that will be represented include the African Union, the Commonwealth, the African Parliament and the Southern African Development Community, he said.
”Leaders will be coming from Africa, Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia,” he said.
An estimated 40 000 people are expected to crowd into the grounds of the Union Buildings to witness the inauguration of the president if not live, then on a number of large TV screens that have been erected on the grounds.
Organisers have also placed 100 big television screens with live up-links across the country for those who cannot attend.
The municipalities of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, on the East Rand, will supply 4 000 marshals to monitor the situation.
For many the day will start at 2am with the first people being bussed in to the Union Buildings from Centurion.
This, said the chairman of the national logistics committee, Ndumisa Ntshinga, was to avoid congestion and security problems. The ceremony starts at 10am.
A group of seven artistic directors including Hugh Masakela and 200 artists will provide the day’s entertainment.
”We have the complete Woodstock Village that will have a stage only slightly smaller than the 4664 concert in Cape Town,” said concert organiser Billy Domingo.
He said 50 tons of steel and nine generators had been brought in to feed the concert’s electricity requirements.
”That is enough to power the whole of Pretoria,” he said.
The day will start with the swearing in of the new president by Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson. The president will then salute a military parade passing down Church Street.
Lunch will be served for invited guests in two huge marquees before the start of the concert. In the evening the president will entertain a small group of invited guests at a cocktail function at the State Theatre before 2 000 more invited guests arrive to watch a show.
South African missions across the world will be hosting similar festivities in celebration of the events.
Tshabalala warned that for security reasons many of the streets in the Pretoria city centre would be closed to traffic. – Sapa