FNB unveils 2010 clocks
12 December 2007
First National Bank (FNB) has unveiled a countdown clock in Nelspruit's city centre, with others to follow at many of the country's airports and host cities, as part of its build-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup, of which it is an official national supporter.
Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla and FNB Mpumalanga regional director Tsidi Lebenya switched on the clock, situated at the Nelspruit city centre, before hundreds of football fans on Tuesday.
Lebenya said she hoped that the brightly coloured timepiece would be a symbolic representation of the massive potential the event presented for the growth and development of the region.
"At FNB, we are confident that the world up will be a huge success. As an official supporter of the world cup we believe good preparation and a positive attitude will contribute to our success in hosting the event," she said in an FNB statement issued on Tuesday.
"The clock is ticking, and this should serve as a catalyst for everyone in Mpumalanga to focus and use every opportunity they have to improve their lives through this event and beyond."
Constructed from moulded fibreglass, each turquoise-coloured five-metre tall countdown clock bears both the FNB and Fifa logos, with a digital display counting down the days to the launch of the event in June 2010.
In addition, the clocks can be programmed to communicate other appropriate world cup messages too.
To date, other countdown clocks have been installed at OR Tambo International Airport outside Johannesburg, the Durban International airport, the Cape Town International Airport, the Port Elizabeth Airport, the Bloemfontein Airport, in George, in Rustenburg, East London and in Safa House, which is the headquarters of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, to the south of Johannesburg.
Makwetla said: "The official slogan for the event 'Ke nako' (it's time) must inspire us to work timeously to provide road infrastructure, health amenities and disaster management capacity and that our Nelspruit [central business district] becomes a crime free environment in preparation for a world class event."
"The countdown clock must symbolically remind us that there is serious work going on in our hosting cities."
SAinfo reporter
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