Artificial Fields to Be Built Throughout Country

27 artificial soccer fields are planned to be built throughout South Africa over the next three years as part of a donation from the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

On Monday, at the Local Organising Committee headquarters, next to the spectacular "calabash" Soccer City which is quickly nearing completion, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund announced a donation of R81-million for the building of 27 artificial pitches.

The project will see three pitches per province and the project will be completed over the next three years.

Already nine sites have been identified for the pitches: in Gauteng, Orange Farm; Limpopo, Thohoyandou; in Mpumalanga, Siyabuswa; in North West, Moses Kotane Municipality; in Northern Cape, Upington; in the Free State, Phuthaditjaba; in the Western Cape, Grassy Park; in Eastern Cape, Cacadu; and KwaZulu-Natal, Ixopo.

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Artificial pitches to be built ahead of 2010
Independent Online
April 7, 2009

Link: "Rooms being secured for 2010"

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Rooms being secured for 2010
The Times
April 8, 2009

Link: "IOC says Chicago 2016 bid is 'strong'"

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IOC says Chicago 2016 bid is 'strong'
Mail & Guardian
April 8, 2009

Link: "R490m shortfall sees council trim vacancies"

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R490m shortfall sees council trim vacancies
Independent Online
April 8, 2009

Link: "Artificial pitches to be built ahead of 2010"

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Artificial pitches to be built ahead of 2010
Independent Online
April 7, 2009

Link: "Housing row puts Cape officials at odds"

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Housing row puts Cape officials at odds
Independent Online
April 6, 2009

Link: "SA grassroots football receives financial boost"

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SA grassroots football receives financial boost
The Real Footie Analyst
April 6, 2009

Bloemfontein Satdium Upgrade Complete

The upgraded stadium in Bloemfontein is now ready for the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, according to local officials. The renovation cost roughly $35 million.

The Free State stadium, which would become the home ground of the Cheetahs as well as Celtic, was upgraded from a seating capacity of 38 000 to 46 000.

It now has 100 private suites with 200 seats as well as a VIP suite which was upgraded to 650 seats. Other upgrades include a bigger media centre, parking and security features.

The chief executive officer of Mangaung 2010, George Mohlakoane, said the upgrades cost R315.5 million, while some R325 million was allocated.

The rest of the money would be used to do considerable upgrades at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, which would be a training venue for 2010.

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Bloemfontein stadium ready for Confeds Cup
Sapa
March 26, 2009

Column Calls for Better 2010 Preparation in Swaziland

This column from the Swazi Observer says Swaziland needs to be doing more to prepare for the crowds expected during the 2010 World Cup. The article also includes a bullet point summary of Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Macford Sibandze's action plan for 2010 preparations.

Tourism, being the most obvious industry to benefit from an international event of this calibre, was given some sort of attention, but not enough. Other sectors like transport, industry, retail, security and even the banking sector – since there will be a lot of currencies circulating in the market - have not been given much priority even though all these will be crucial during the 2010 World Cup event.
Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Macford Sibandze has laid out an action plan for his ministry to get on board the 2010 bandwagon and make up for lost time. He notes that the country cannot afford to sit on its laurels and let such opportunity sashay by.

He says the international event, for instance, provides the opportunity to increase tourism revenue as well as to upgrade the tourism supply-side to supplement shortage demand in the industry while the widespread media exposure would enhance the region as a brand in global tourism. Sibandze says the event provides a unique opportunity for Swaziland to significantly enhance its competitiveness in the long term, so delivering a world class experience to tourists is important for the country to convert arrivals in 2010 to good ambassadors who would spread the word and further enhance the region’s brand as a tourism destination of choice.

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It’s about time SD gets aboard 2010 bandwagon
The Swazi Observer
March 28, 2009

Jordaan Reassures Taxi Drivers as Transit Systems Develop

Amid concerns that taxis will be rendered obsolete by new transit systems like Johannesburg's bus rapid transit system, Local Organizing Committee head Danny Jordaan made an effort to reassure taxi drivers. He called taxis the country's "main form of public transport".

LOC CEO Danny Jordaan said he would set up a meeting with the minister of transport Jeff Radebe this week before his meeting with taxi operators presumably before the end of this week.

...The Johannesburg city centre and surrounding parts ground to a halt as thousands of taxi drivers took to the streets earlier in the week, to protest against government�s new bus system. Some of the reports emanating from the strike were that drivers were prepared to disrupt two of the world�s major sporting events in the country.

Jordaan says taxis are at the heart of our public transport system and will continue to be so, assuring the taxi associations of their role next year.

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Fear not - LOC's Jordaan moves to reassure taxi operators
Sunday World
March 28, 2009

World Cup Investment Criticized as SA Continues to Struggle With AIDS

South Africa's nearly $2 billion investment in stadia is meeting some criticism, as some within the country and beyond argue that more money should be dedicated towards fighting the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. This article from New York University's student newspaper examines the criticism.

The country’s finance minister, Trevor Manuel, announced the country would allocate $1.9 billion dollars to the completion of 10 stadiums by the end of this year. He added that the government would also set up a grant to assist the host cities for this year’s Confederation Cup as well as the World Cup.

But opponents of the spending protest that some of South Africa’s problems deserve more funds than soccer. Health care professionals are leaving the country at rapid rates and the number of people affected by AIDS is rising. South Africa is among the most endangered nations in the world with regards to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Public Healthcare Issues said that in 2006, during the time of the last World Cup in Germany, HIV/AIDS was prevalent in 38.7 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds in South Africa.

...Robert Boland, a finance and economics professor in the sports management program at NYU, remains uncertain as well.

“It’s a big risk South Africa is taking. If the World Cup prospers, there is adequate possibility that the economy will improve and in turn bring in outside money for health care,” Boland said. “But it just might not work; they may never have the proper infrastructure to change the government’s inefficiency, the country’s labor problems, and the private hospital system.”

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Funding for 2010 World Cup draws criticism in S. Africa
Washington Square News
March 29, 2009

World Cup May Serve as 'Catalyst' For Olympics in South Africa

Olympic Games officials have said that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa could serve as a catalyst for the country to host a future Olympics.

The 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa could act as a catalyst for a successful bid for the Olympics from the continent, Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said on Monday.

..."I believe that after South Africa has organised the World Cup there will probably be other candidatures from Africa and I'm convinced that with time in the medium term, maybe a decade, there will be a possibility."

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World Cup could be catalyst for African Games
Independent Online
March 30, 2009

Taxis Driving on Sidewalks in Cape Town

Traffic congestion is causing taxi drivers to make shortcuts over the sidewalk in Cape Town.

Taxis which routinely outrage other traffic by driving in the left emergency lane have gone a step further: they've started beating congestion by driving on the pavement.

In the past three weeks 25 fines have been issued to taxi drivers for driving on or over the painted island or on the pavement.

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Taxis 'take over' the pavements
Independent Online
April 5, 2009

Recession Fuels Concerns Over Huge Tourist and Mixed Use Development

Some in South Africa are concerned that the economic recession will cause delays in the development of AmaZulu World, an ambitious tourist theme park, commercial and residential development planned near Durban.

Ruwaad Holdings, the financier of a R20-billion tourist development at Macambini on the North Coast, is concerned that general agreement for the project has not been signed even though a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year with the KwaZulu-Natal government will expire within weeks.

Ruwaad on Monday met an ANC task team led by Cyril Xaba, a member of the provincial legislature, to steer the AmaZulu World project forward amid concerns that commencement had been delayed.

A spectacular model of the theme park, to be built on 16 500ha of land north of the Tugela River, was unveiled in Dubai in October.

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Clarity sought on R20bn tourist project
Independent Online
March 24, 2009

More information on the project:

Covering approximately 16,500 hectares of land, Amazulu World will consist of an eco-friendly first class internationally branded theme park, with Africa’s largest shopping destination, Africa’s largest lifestyle community, the country’s first dedicated education and health village, the most comprehensive and advanced sports village development in Africa, residential dwellings, hotels, spas, a marina, nature reserves and community facilities.

Estimations have thought to bring at least 200,000 new jobs to the development which will help improve the South African economy. Tourism will also be boosted by some 40% bringing millions of tourists into the area once the development is built.

The projected length of the construction is said to last 25 years.

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Amazulu World In South Africa
Overseas Property Mall
October 21, 2008

Homeless Children Won't Be Cleared From Streets During World Cup

While in the past, the international spotlight was typically proceeded by an effort to temporarily rid the streets of homeless youth, South African officials are saying that this will not be the case during the 2010 World Cup.

[eThekwini municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe] said the city faced the challenges of providing services to rich international visitors as demanded by the national government and soccer governing body Fifa, while continuing to serve poor and vulnerable residents.

..."We have to use the event to our advantage to advance our economic, social and sustainability agendas. It (the World Cup) has given the city the opportunity to ramp up its investment in public infrastructure and to bring it to the poorest of the poor by building more clinics and providing social facilities," Sutcliffe said.

However, he said, while street children were a "visible" social problem, the city had the challenge of caring for eight groups of vulnerable people including the "invisible" poor.

"We have 100 000 households in the city who have no income and they contain about 500 000 family members. And there are those households living off casual labour," Sutcliffe said.

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Street kids 'won't disappear' for 2010
Independent Online
April 2, 2009

Officials Say South Africa's Transportation Needs Revitalization

In a recent debate on South Africa's transportation system, government officials called for a broad revitalization efforts to get transit and infrastructure back up to the top of the policy agenda.

The country had 750 000km of road, 22 000km of rail, seven harbours and three international airports. "These are our economic lifeblood," Democratic Alliance spokesman Robin Carlisle said. "We must care for them, protect them and develop them."

Carlisle said South Africa was also a commuting nation. "Partly due to geography and mainly due to apartheid, our commuters in South Africa make the longest commuting trips in the world."

He said people depended on transport systems, which were not working as they should.

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SA transport system in bad shape
Independent Online
March 31, 2009

Hotel Shortages in Angola Ahead of 2010 African Nations Cup

Host of the January 2010 African Nations Cup, Angola has invested heavily in the tournament. But now there are concerns that the country does not have enough hotel space to accommodate the 10,000 tourists expected during the event.

Angola's shortage of accommodation may overshadow the African Nations Cup next year despite the country's $1 billion efforts to build stadiums, airports and hotels, an official said on Tuesday.

"We have secured enough hotels for tournament officials and teams, but the problem will be to find rooms for the tourists that will come to our country," said Angola's deputy Minister for sports, Albino da Conceicao.

About 10,000 tourists are expected to come to oil-rich Angola during the Jan. 10-31 event but the few existing hotels are already booked months in advance and 11 new hotels being built will only accommodate a few thousand more.

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Angola short of hotel rooms for Nations Cup - minister
Reuters
March 31, 2009

Cape Town's Transit System A Key Point in Provincial Premiership Race

Differences over the Integrated Rapid Transit system that's being developed for Cape Town have put provincial premier candidates at odds, with each jostling for mutual ground with the taxi operators that are opposing the IRT.

Premier Lynne Brown and Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille have held yet another meeting to iron out their differences over the Integrated Rapid Transit system and the conflict over it with taxi operators.

The two women are candidates to lead the province after the April 22 election, and this has led to accusations that each is using the fallout from the National Taxi Alliance's stiff resistance to the IRT to gain political capital.

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Brown, Zille 'ready to move on IRT'
Independent Online
April 2, 2009

60,000 Transit Workers Threaten Strike Over Wages

Transit worker unions are threatening a countrywide strike of more than 60,000 people if demands for wage increases are not met.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said about 60 000 workers, including 30 000 Satawu members, would participate in the strike.

"The critical issue here is the minimum wage which is very low," Satawu spokesperson Tabudi Ramakgolo said.

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Strike could cripple public transport system
Independent Online
April 1, 2009

Port Elizabeth Begins City Center Redevelopment with Mandela Walkway

Planners in Port Elizabeth have started construction on the first of a series of civic development projects in the city center as it prepares to host the 2010 World Cup.

The first in a series of multi million rand projects to upgrade the Port Elizabeth city centre, one of which includes a walkway to celebrate the life of former president Nelson Mandela, started this week, a city manager said on Friday.

..."This walk will also celebrate the city as an art gallery and will use murals and other street art lining the entire route to showcase the area's cultural history," Sapere said.

The first phase of Port Elizabeth's upgrade will cost R25-million and will be completed in time for the 2010 soccer World Cup.

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PE ponders Mandela Walkway
Independent Online
March 27, 2009