Polokwane Takes World Cup Preparations Beyon Stadium

Polokwane and the Limpopo Provincial government are hoping their preparations for the World Cup will help foster relations between African countries.

These include a newly built tourism and information centre that will be utilized to attract tourists to the City of Stars and upgraded infrastructure such as roads and bridges. City officials have also incorporated a unique feature in the province's world cup fan fare programme by developing what has been named a 'cultural village', aimed at giving the World Cup an African feel. Organisers say the African village will also be used as a tourist attraction site in which 10 different African countries will showcase their heritage and culture. Plans are under way to ensure the idea is used to foster relations among African countries beyond the World Cup.

South Africa: Limpopo Ready for World Cup- Motlanthe
Bua News
May 23, 2010

Transport Department Proposes $98 Billion Transit Plan

The transport department has presented a 750 billion Rand (~$98 billion USD) plan to parliament that would drastically renovate the rail systems of South Africa. Major links proposed in the plan would expand the regional rail service Gautrain to connect Johannesburg with Durban and Polokwane.

The plan's project manager, Lanfranc Situma, told the portfolio committee for transport that the department needed urgent approval from MPs so that the cabinet-initiated National Transport Master Plan (Natmap) could "get moving".

Natmap transport planning consultant Paul Lombard recommended to the committee that studies be done on whether it was feasible to extend the Gautrain project to the Durban-Johannesburg and Pretoria-Polokwane lines.

R750bn transport plan pitched
Fin 24
May 4, 2010

Medical Center Will Be Established at Polokwane Stadium

A health center will be linked to the Peter Mokaba Stadium stadium in Polokwane to help with any injuries and medical issues during World Cup matches.

The Limpopo Provincial 2010 FIFA Health Committee is pleased with moves to set up the centre as well as progress made towards the final preparations for the event.

The Committee, which met at the weekend, confirmed that Polokwane, Mankweng Hospital Complex, Lebowakgomo, Mokopane, Seshego, and Polokwane - Medi Clinic Hospital were ready for the World Cup.

Key facilities at these hospitals such as theatre operations, trauma centres and intensive care units have gone through an intensive checking process and will be ready to handle any casualty during the event.

South Africa: 2010 Medical Centre for Limpopo
BuaNews
February 8, 2010

Polokwane Stadium Ready for World Cup

The Peter Mokaba Sports Complex in Polokwane is officially ready to host the 201 World Cup, according to officials who say the stadium passed its two test matches in January.

Ndavhe Ramakuela, director of 2010 Polokwane, said they were satisfied with the stadium and that the facility was now ready for a 45 000 full capacity crowd.

“We used these two events to test the stadium’s readiness for major games and it passed the test nicely. We have also ensured that all safety and security measures are in place,” said Ramakuela.

Another WC stadium passes declared ready
The Sowetan
February 1, 2010

Two New Stadia Pass Muster

Brand new stadia in Cape Town and Polokwane have opened, and have successfully passed their first tests of readiness.

The Cape Town Stadium hosted a local derby between Santos and Ajax Cape Town while the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane held an-all day tournament and both stadiums passed the first test of their readiness for the big event in June.

The Peter Mokaba Stadium is one of the five new stadiums that were built up from the dust. It will host four group stage matches including a much anticipated clash between France and Mexico. On Saturday, the stadium held just one less match than it would in the entire World Cup, with no complications.

World Cup venues pass first test
ESPN
January 24, 2010

The Five First-Round Cities

This post takes a look at the five hot cities hosting only first-round matches during the World Cup.

Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Rustenburg are all at high altitude. The first three could be bitterly cold at night during the tournament although Rustenburg has mild, sunny, southern hemisphere winters. Nelspruit is in the hot, dry lowveldt and should be comfortable.

Most of the World Cup managers are thought to be planning training camps around Pretoria, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg to prepare their players for the thinner air.

First round venues for 2010 World Cup
Independent Online
November 30, 2009

Polokwane - The Quiet Host City

This piece from The Guardian takes a look inside Polokwane, one of the host cities of the 2010 World Cup -- and one that is likely low on the must-see lists of tourists.

"You are the only guest," smiled one of several waiters competing to sweep my plate away. This, after all, was Polokwane, a sleepy city at the opposite corner of South Africa from Cape Town – and at the opposite end of most tourists' to-do lists.

...Yet there, not too far away on the horizon, was one of the host stadiums for next year's football World Cup, probably the biggest international event in Polokwane since the Anglo-Boer war.

Beautiful game-watching in the World Cup city of Polokwane
The Guardian
August 27, 2009

Polokwane Stadium '78% Complete'

World Cup officials in Polokwane say the brand new Peter Mokaba Sports Complex is on track to be complete in September.

"The work dealing with concrete and bricks has been completed. We are now left with two major things, placing the 45000 plastic seats and working on the pitch." said Polokwane World Cup director Ndavhe Ramakuela.

"The roof which was ordered from Japan and assembled in Johannesburg is the final stages."

Peter Mokaba Sports on track
The Sowetan
June 18, 2009