1 000 days till 2010 World Cup
Sholain Govender
17 September 2007
Friday 14 September marked the start of the 1 000-day countdown to the 2010 Fifa World Cup, with the opening match set for 11 June 2010 and the final scheduled to take place a month later, on 11 July.
Since winning the right to host the tournament at a function in Zurich, Switzerland in May 2004, South Africa's government and the private sector have been working continually on preparing to host the big event.
The government has already made some R17.4-billion available to the various provinces to upgrade stadiums and surrounding infrastructure in the nine chosen host cities.
To date, preparation for hosting the World Cup has gone through two phases and crucial deadlines for the planning completion for stadiums and transport infrastructure have been successfully met.
The first phase, to set aside finances and put in place a regulatory environment that would fully comply with Fifa requirements, was completed in December
2006.
It also involved the selection of host cities and stadiums, including the awarding of contracts between host cities and Fifa to govern the cities' obligations and rights in hosting World Cup matches.
Following a planning process by various government bodies, South Africa's Treasury allocated funding to the various projects, with funds being given to host cities and government departments.
Apart from just redeveloping stadiums and transport infrastructure, host cities have set aside funds to upgrade road networks and areas surrounding stadiums, while the state-owned airports operator has begun upgrading the country's major airports.
Soccer City, to the south of Johannesburg, is the venue for both the opening and closing match of the World Cup. It is currently being rebuilt to include a roof and have its capacity increased to almost 95 000, and 2010 Local Organising Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan says construction there is ahead of
schedule.
Four other stadiums currently being built around the country include the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex in Polokwane and the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Existing stadiums including Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Ellis Park in Johannesburg, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein are receiving minor facelifts ahead of 2010.
Confederations Cup
The second phase began in January this year, and involves the implementation of all the 2010 Fifa World Cup projects.
As part of this phase, South Africa will host the Fifa Confederations Cup in 2009, as a test-run for hosting the World Cup the following year. The Confederations Cup will be held between 14 and 27 June 2009, with matches being played in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg.
All the infrastructure and services needed for both
the Confederations Cup and the World Cup will have to be delivered between 2007 and 2009, while operational plans, such as those for safety and security, are already being tested during big sporting events.
A key milestone will be achieved in September 2008, when a Fifa team will arrive to inspect the stadiums to be used during the Confederations Cup.
During the third phase, final touches will be added to the stadiums and related infrastructure, while the approximately 15 000 volunteers needed during the World Cup will be recruited and trained.
The training will enable the volunteers to carry out tasks ranging from being team liaison officers and medical assistants, to dealing with logistics, marketing, transportation, queue marshalling and acting as interpreters to assist visiting fans.
The stadiums that will host matches during the 2010 World Cup will be officially handed over to Fifa in October 2009.
Source: BuaNews
| 
