The World Cup goes on with or without Cape Town — this was the stark warning emanating from chairperson Irvin Khoza on Wednesday at a Local Organising Committee (LOC) media briefing in Johannesburg on the progress towards the 2010 tournament.
Khoza was commenting on the niggling succession of obstacles that have emerged surrounding the construction of a new stadium for the World Cup, which is due to be erected as part of a comprehensive development in the Green Point precinct of Cape Town.
The latest such obstruction is a threat from the Green Point Residents’ Association to take the matter to court if certain conditions surrounding the project are not met.
”The World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South Africa and a momentous task to bring to fruition, with the whole operation required to be carried out like clockwork,” said Khoza, ”and even a delay of two or three weeks in our timetable of events could be critical, let alone a lengthy wait over the outcome of court proceedings.
”Naturally, we hope all the difficulties in Cape Town will be ironed out timeously,” added the LOC chairperson, ”but we are not dragging our heels while getting into protracted arguments over the Cape Town stadium.”
A more conciliatory approach was taken by CEO Danny Jordaan, who pointed out that Cape Town municipal authorities have now accepted in entirety the proposals for the new Cape Town stadium.
”Ultimately,” he added, ”the stadium and its implications concern every resident of Cape Town and I cannot see the city rejecting a R2-billion grant from the government towards overall costs if the project turns out to be still-born.”
Ironically, in the circumstances, Khoza scoffed at the allegations of serious disagreements between himself and Jordaan over World Cup planning and said they were bonded together to ensure the success of the 2010 tournament.
”If there is any serious tension between us,” he joked in a manner that recalled the old maxim about many a true word being spoken in jest, ”they will only surface in 2011.”
Khoza and Jordaan were in more obvious accord over initial planning for 2010, which they described as ”encouraging in all aspects — and ahead of time”.
It was confirmed that the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup will take place in Durban on November 23 next year, with up to 3 500 delegates and other visitors from 200 competing nations in attendance.
Khoza said the LOC’s preparation towards 2010 had been approved in its entirety by Fifa at a meeting in Zurich last week — and Jordaan said Africa had achieved a major coup in the decision by the executive to grant the continent six of the 32 team positions at the next World Cup to African teams for the first time.
South Africa qualify automatically as hosts and what is described as ”a mad scramble” will ensue among the 50 other nations for five places.
‘Our eyes are on the ball’
Meanwhile, South Africa on Wednesday dismissed concerns it had fallen behind in 2010 World Cup preparations, saying it had made headway in modernising stadiums and making the streets safe for visitors.
”The preparation work has begun,” Deputy Minister of Finance Jabu Moleketi said at a news conference in the capital Pretoria. ”Our eyes are on the ball and we are going to deliver … we are confident we are on time.”
Moleketi said the companies that would carry out the majority of the World Cup-related work would be announced before the end of the year and that major construction work on stadiums would begin throughout the country next February.
He added that R8,4-billion has been earmarked for construction and renovation of stadiums and nearly R6-billion on additional infrastructure projects for the tournament.
Moleketi’s rosy forecast came as South Africa continues to reassure Fifa that it is on schedule to harness the resources and spirit needed to host the first World Cup held in Africa. — Sapa, Reuters