LOC Says FIFA Cash 'Not a Bailout'

Local organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan is claiming that FIFA's recent injection of $100 million into the country's World Cup preparation fund was not a "bailout".

Fifa signed off the 25 percent increase at an executive committee meeting held in March, its secretary general Jerome Valcke told BBC Sport.

Valcke said the extra money was needed to help South Africa ensure that team training camps would be ready on time.

Fifa's R750m 'no bailout'
Independent Online
May 11, 2010

Bringing World Cup in On Budget May Be Challenge for LOC

Pulling off the World Cup without overspending is going to be a challenge, according to officials in the Local Organizing Committee.

"We are under a lot of pressure right now in terms of budget," said Greg Fredericks, a top aide to committee chief executive Danny Jordaan. "We believe at this stage we are within budget. (But) I think it's tight."

LOC: SWC budget is tight
News 24
May 5, 2010

SAFA Distances Itself from Bonus Controversy

The South African Football Association is trying to repair its image after being accused of being a part of a plan to award bonuses to government and soccer officials from the proceeds of the 2010 World Cup. Officials have not denied the bonus plan, but say they won't be able to look into the matter until after the tournament.

The row broke out this week when it was reported that certain officials would pocket millions of rands from an estimated windfall of about R1 billion that Safa could receive from world controlling soccer body Fifa for hosting the World Cup.

In a statement on Friday, Safa CEO Leslie Sedibe said the issue of bonuses had not been discussed by his executive and they would only look into the matter after the event.

Sedibe said the cost of running the event had over-run the budget by "hundreds of millions of rands".

World Cup bonuses on hold - Safa
Independent Online
April 30, 2010

Soccer and Government Officials Implicated in Million-Dollar Graft Case

A new investigation by the Sowetan newspaper alleges that a committe had voted to give members of the Local Organizing Committee and the South African Football Association a deep cut of the proceeds from the 2010 World Cup. Many high ranking government officials have been implicated in the investigation. Roughly 50 million Rand (~$6.7 million USD) would have been split by the officials. The payoffs have been referred to by some officials as "bonuses".

The committee, led by Oliphant as president and Khoza as his deputy, voted at a meeting to reward members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) board 10percent while Safa executives stood to pocket 5percent of the spoils, estimated at between R500million and R1billion – a windfall from the June 11 to July 11 soccer showpiece.

Shockingly, associations of Safa were to be given a paltry 5 percent.

This was uncovered by Sowetan after a lengthy investigation and eventually confirmed by a number of highly-placed sources in the soccer fraternity.

Ousted Safa bosses’ plan to loot R500m
Sowetan
April 29, 2010