May 31, 2005
By Anish Abraham
THE preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup will impact on the lives of everyone in Johannesburg; a change that should continue long after the event has passed.
Preparation for the soccer showpiece will involve infrastructure development - including improving public transport, upgrading facilities, building accommodation and creating jobs.
These were just some of the issues tackled at the Intergovernmental Infrastructure Summit, "Bridging the Gap", held at Gallagher Estate, on 30 May. The summit brought together representatives from various spheres of government, parastatals, private business and community-based and non-profit organisations to look at ways to speed up service delivery and prevent a duplication of projects.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Councillor Amos Masondo and Gauteng Premiere Mbhazima Shilowa
Johannesburg's team at the summit was lead by Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo, with city manager Pascal Moloi and director of Development Planning, Transportation and Environment, Amanda Nair, participating in various working groups.
The summit attracted cabinet ministers, members of the provincial legislature and other Metro executive mayors: public enterprises minister Alec Erwin and transport minister Jeff Radebe were present, along with Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa and the MEC for public transport, roads and works, Ignatius Jacobs, and Tshwane mayor Smangaliso Mkhatshwa and Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi.
Danny Jordaan, member of the 2010 World Cup Committee, also attended.
Opening the summit, Jacobs said, "We can use the World Cup as an excuse to upgrade our infrastructure and get our public transport system sorted out." He stressed however, these would be legacy projects, with their impact on local communities to be felt long after the event has passed.
Johannesburg will in be one of the hubs of the tournament, providing a base for the expected visitors and hosting many of the games.
It is also the access point for international visitors, the main location for the media and broadcasting teams, and will also serve as Fifa's headquarters for the duration of the tournament.
This makes it crucial that the city's infrastructure is up to scratch.
Jordaan emphasised the important role Gauteng had to play in the 2010 Soccer World Cup. "Most of the games played, including the final, will be held here. This summit is already ensuring that all main and supporting infrastructure will be in place."
Infrastructure can be divided in two categories: economic infrastructure, such as roads, rail lines, ports, and electricity pylons, which boosts economic growth in a particular area; and social infrastructure, such as hospitals and clinics, schools and sport and recreation centres.
Examples of economic infrastructure developments in Johannesburg include the developments around Constitution Hill and the Newtown Cultural Precinct.
Gauteng has committed R20-billion to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for all socio-economic infrastructure developments up to 2008. Johannesburg will be allocated about 25 percent, or R5-billion, of that amount.
The summit emphasised the need for neighbouring municipalities to cooperate to improve service delivery.
Shilowa stressed the need for the various government departments - on a local and provincial scale - to coordinate tasks. He used Johannesburg as an example, pointing out that the city shared boundaries with two metros, and two district municipalities and had to ensure its Integrated Development Plan (IDP) linked to those of its neighbours.
He added that many people who work in Johannesburg live in Ekurhuleni or Tshwane, while others live in Johannesburg but work elsewhere in the province.
All this had an impact on public transport and housing planning. Planning of new developments had to be done in a way that people were housed close to where they could work, or that they had affordable and reliable access to public transport.
"Gauteng is home to the majority of minibus taxis as well as commuter and long distance train passengers in the country," said Radebe, adding it was necessary to create an efficient, reliable transport infrastructure in the province.
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