World Cup: ‘Make it a reality’

Give South Africa the World Cup, it is ready, Ghanaian football great Abedi Pele told Fifa on behalf of the South African 2010 bid committee in Zurich on Friday.

Opening South Africa’s 30-minute presentation, former president Nelson Mandela told Fifa president Sepp Blatter and his 23 fellow selectors that South Africa is ”ready, willing, able capable and passionate” to host the 2010 extravaganza.

”You, my friends, have it in your hands to make this a reality,” Mandela added.

A short film insert told the audience at Fifa House in Zurich, Switzerland, that soccer has historically been the one uniting passion of all South Africans.

It is a powerful agent for change.

President Thabo Mbeki, speaking after Mandela, said in a finely crafted speech that nothing would energise South Africans as much as the knowledge that they were to host the 2010 World Cup.

”We held our third democratic general elections exactly a month ago. In a real sense, these peaceful, free and fair elections were a referendum about our first 10 years of freedom, and a plebiscite to decide the agenda of our second decade of liberation,” Mbeki said.

”…The millions we represent said that by 2014 they want to see a South Africa that has made decisive advances in the national effort to build a society of which all humanity would be proud. They said they want to see an African continent that has taken a giant step forward towards its renaissance.

”…Nothing can serve to inspire our people and all Africa to achieve these humane goals as much as would the knowledge that the 2010 Soccer World Cup would come to our shores.

”Nothing could ever serve to energise our people to work for their and Africa’s upliftment than to integrate among the tasks of our second decade of democracy and the African renaissance as our successful hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup,” Mbeki said.

He also thanked Fifa for its decision in 2001 to grant Africa its first-ever opportunity to host the event.

Mbeki, as head of state, also pledged to Fifa that if granted the right to host the event, South Africa would do whatever is necessary to ensure it is a success.

”We … pledge to the Fifa executive committee … if South Africa is granted the privilege … we will ensure that we respect the high standards that Fifa must necessarily set as a condition for granting this privilege,” the president said.

Bid chief executive Danny Jordaan concluded the South African presentation by seeking to assure Blatter and his executive that South Africa has the ability to host a world-class World Cup.

He added that the country in the past decade has hosted 11 major events and has in every case provided a safe and secure environment.

He noted that two successive technical reports — this year’s as well as that prepared for South Africa’s failed bid for the 2006 derby — concluded the country is ready to hold the soccer showcase.

Jordaan’s team was supported by a stellar cast of South Africans including former president FW de Klerk, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Minister of Sport and Recreation Mankenkisi Stofile, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and billionaire businessman and soccer club owner Patrice Motsepe.

South African Hollywood beauty and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron reportedly could not make the occasion, but said she was there in spirit.

Economist Mike Schussler said the authorities would probably spend about R3-billion in improving infrastructure in the run-up to the games.

Shilowa, in an interview shortly before the South African presentation at 5pm, said projects that would be speeded should the country win the bid included the Gautrain to link Johannesburg International airport to venues in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

In both cities — and elsewhere — roads would also have to be improved and widened to ensure crowds could get to stadiums.

Much of the money spent on preparations would be recouped during and after the event.

Schussler estimated the country would earn between R13- and R24-billion, with about 500 000 fans each staying an average of 29 days over the length of the tournament.

He expected up to 120 000 jobs, about half of them sustainable, would be created during preparations for and the holding of the event.

Follow-up tourism in the two years after the event could earn South Africa another R8-billion. — Sapa