The 2007 medium-term expenditure framework provides for R9,5-billion to be spent on 2010 World Cup stadiums and their supporting infrastructure, raising the total contribution from the national fiscus to R14,9-billion, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement reported on Wednesday.
This amount includes about R3-billion for stadium construction and R2,4-billion for supporting transport infrastructure, announced in the 2006 February budget.
The statement tabled at Parliament by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday reported that the budget will also include provision for cultural and social cohesion events leading up to and during the competition; communication infrastructure improvements; emergency health and disaster-management services; and improved services at ports of entry “and an increase in security personnel and arrangements to ensure the safety of visitors and participants”.
The nine host cities for the World Cup matches are Cape Town, Nelson Mandela (Port Elizabeth), eThekwini (Durban), Mbombela, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg and Mangaung.
Manuel told a news briefing on Wednesday that the R14,9-billion figure includes about R5,6-billion for new stadiums, just short of R2-billion for the upgrading of existing stadiums, almost R600-million for bulk services and R5,5-billion for supportive infrastructure. — I-Net Bridge