Cape Town mayor Helen Zille will be to blame if Cape Town loses the 2010 Soccer World Cup semifinal, Independent Democrats (ID) leader in the city council Simon Grindrod said on Thursday.
”I’m holding Helen Zille personally responsible if we lose the World Cup [event], because her first act as mayor was to halt the planning process,” he said.
His statement follows claims by the Western Cape provincial government — denied by Zille — that the city has blundered on a crucial procedural issue in paving the way for the construction of a R2,5-billion stadium at Green Point in the city.
Grindrod said Zille’s first act on taking up the mayoral chain in March this year was to halt the stadium planning process over questions she already knew the answer to.
”She was trying to appease her support base, and it’s all backfired,” he said.
The two month delay that ensued had probably cost the city the semifinal.
”The blame must go squarely on her shoulders for playing politics with this critical issue.”
He called on Zille to summon an urgent council meeting to resolve the matter.
Chairperson of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa, Nils Heckscher, said in a statement that the province, city and ”all decision-making bodies” should get their act together and put an end to the delays threatening the stadium.
”Decision-makers and all role-players need to see the bigger context,” he said.
”This is about economic growth opportunities and an injection of billions of rands into the city coffers that will not easily be rivalled by any other event.” — Sapa