February 24, 2005
By Lucky Sindane
IF you have a creative idea that will make the 2010 Soccer World Cup the best ever cup, you are invited to drop the Gauteng department of sport, recreation, arts and culture an email on 2010@gpg.gov.za.
The department has set up an online link - that will operate for the next four months - to give community members a forum to share their ideas with the government and other role players.
"We are taking this innovative approach because over the last several months, many residents, clubs, and fan groups have approached us with ideas on what they want to do to assist the Local Organising Committee in the build up to 2010," said Barbara Creecy, the MEC for sport, recreation, arts and culture.
She was speaking after the opening of the Gauteng Legislature on Monday, 21 February.
Some of the ideas her department had already received included ways to identify and develop football talent, to build a love for soccer at a mass level, and to use the world cup to promote competitive sport, arts and culture, youth development and tourism in Gauteng, Creecy said.
Last year Gauteng launched a campaign to make the province the home of competitive sports.
Johannesburg has hosted the Vodacom Challenge, Mandela Cup, Telkom Charity Cup, CAF women's soccer tournament, the rugby Tri-Nations, the Soweto and the City-to-City marathons and the Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge.
The city is also home to five top Premier Soccer League teams - Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Moroka Swallows, Wits University and Jomo Cosmos.
During his State-of-the-Province address at the opening of the legislature, Premier Mbhazima Shilowa congratulated Moroka Swallows for winning the Absa cup and Kaizer Chiefs, which took the league honours and the Coca-Cola cup.
"One of our top priorities will be to work with the Local Organising Committee, other spheres of government and soccer stakeholders to undertake the necessary preparatory work that will ensure the success of the 2010 Fifa
World Cup tournament," said Creecy.
Johannesburg is currently setting up structures to oversee the City's preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The South African Football Association asked Johannesburg to provide information about facilities, accommodation, transport, banking facilities and security.
Two of the City's stadiums, FNB and Ellis Park, are likely to play an important role in the tournament, hosting matches like the opening game, some of the semi-final and quarter-final matches, as well as the final.
"By the end of July," said Creecy, "a high-level political committee, including three MECs and local government representatives, will have finalised a plan of action to ensure a common approach to implementing the commitments made during the bid process. It is important that all spheres of government move from general commitments to specific commitments."
The premier said the provincial government was committed to ensuring effective and increased investment in sport, transport and tourism infrastructure so that the event did South Africa proud, and to ensure the province's residents were able to share the economic benefits the World Cup would bring.
The department of sports, recreation, arts and culture has invested R48-million in sports, arts and culture infrastructure in historically disadvantaged communities across Gauteng.
"In line with our commitment to promote soccer in historically disadvantaged communities, we spent R11,5-million on stadiums in Gauteng. We also completed phase two construction of multipurpose centres in Orange Farm, Poortjie and other places," Creecy said.
This year her department would give greater focus to providing organised sports and cultural activities, she added. This would ensure young people in particular took part in sports or cultural activities on a regular basis, to help with the province's overall objective of promoting safe and sustainable communities.
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