Failure is not an option in South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Deputy Sports and Recreation Minister Gert Oosthuizen said on Thursday.
”It’s not just a South African dream whose success is non-negotiable … failure is not an option,” Oosthuizen told a conference in Johannesburg on the role of local government in the tournament.
In preparation for the World Cup, all projects were to be monitored and assessed. All efforts should be people-driven and people-owned to make the World Cup happen.
He said the hosting municipalities had to be an anchor and integral part in preparations for the event.
Through the South African Local Government Association (Salga), the government would also engage with non-hosting cities to ensure long-term benefits from 2010 initiatives, dubbed legacy projects.
Salga’s World Cup coordinator, Thulani Mlambo, said because the local organising committee (LOC) had agreements with host cities, these cities would see the benefits of the World Cup.
”No one is looking after our non-host cities. People [in these cities] know there’s a World Cup but they don’t know if they will benefit,” said Mlambo.
Salga’s chief operations officer, Sabelo Wasa, said the bulk of volunteers should come from non-hosting cities.
”Because this is the biggest sporting event in the world, more than double the number of volunteers need to be used than any other event.”
Wasa said because tickets to watch the game would be ”extremely” expensive — volunteers would get an opportunity to have a glance [at the games]”.
He said Salga was awaiting a decision from the LOC on the number of volunteers and the coordination of training.
Wasa said Salga was not against bringing skilled workers from outside the country but the exercise needed to benefit the country beyond 2010.
”If we bring people from outside the country, there must be a clear strategy of transferring skills to people in the municipalities,” he said.
‘Well on track’
Cape Town city spokesperson Ronald Kingman said: ”All the milestones are in place … We are well on track for meeting the deadline of 2010.”
He said 90% of the excavation of ground and earthworks at Green Point Stadium had been completed.
Kingman expressed confidence that the new stadium would be completed for the handover date on October 31 2009.
Public viewing areas had been designated to various areas around Cape Town, and the main ”Fan Park” would be in the Grand Parade.
Other viewing areas in the metropolitan area would in Bellville and Athlone.
Towns in the province earmarked for viewing areas included Caledon, Knysna, George, Oudtshoorn, Paarl and Stellenbosch.
Kingman said the City of Cape Town would receive a financial benefit of over R10-billion from the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The city would spend just under R1-billion on preparations and was expected to gain a financial benefit of R10,23-billion.
Legacy projects included an electricity infrastructure of R151-million, road-based transport of R2,1-billion, rail-based transport of R1,7-billion, the airport railway to the CBD of R410-million and an airport upgrade of R1,2-billion.
The revised budget for the Green Point Stadium approved on March 9 amounted to R2,857-billion, Kingman said. — Sapa