September 7, 2006
By Lucky Sindane
THE FIFA Soccer World Cup provides host cities with the opportunity to fast-track urban development and promote economic development.
Nowhere is this more relevant than for Johannesburg, one of the host cities for the 2010 World Cup.
To investigate just how such an event will affect city life in South Africa - and Johannesburg in particular - the University of Johannesburg hosted a three-day colloquium, canvassing opinions from a range of experts from urban planners to media professionals, from sports administrators to policy analysts.
It was hosted by the Wits School of Architecture and Planning, the Centre for Urban and Built Environment Studies (CUBES), the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the Goethe Institute.
The colloquium, under the title "2010 and the life of the city", took place over three days, from 4 September to 6 September, and covered topics including:
- Challenges for development;
- Consuming the imagination: fantasies about wealth and 2010 Soccer World Cup in contemporary Soweto;
- Preparing for an African world cup; and
- Legacy planning and 2010
According to the HSRC, the World Cup provides hosting cities with the opportunity to fast-track urban development, to improve their economic infrastructure, to promote economic development and job creation and to present themselves on a global stage.
"It is certainly the case that the host cities talk of the 2010 'legacy', anticipating that the greater benefit of hosting 2010 matches will lie less in the event itself than in the long-term benefits of transport, sports and other infrastructure investment and the image created of the cities as a destination for tourists and investment," said Udesh Pillay, executive director of the HSRC's urban, rural and economic development unit.
About 129 000 jobs will be created and an expected direct expenditure of R7,2-billion will be generated, according to an HSRC report.
"South Africans are very confident that the 2010 Soccer World Cup will bring increased job opportunities and improved economic growth to the country," Pillay added.
Another belief was that the 2010 event would "consolidate South Africa's position in the international arena".
Much needed to be done to ensure a successful World Cup - "one that will be remembered for many years to come", according to government spokesperson Thabo Masebe, from GCIS (government communication and information system).
It should, he added, "be a catalyst of accelerated development growth".
Infrastructure plans had to be put into place to support both the World Cup and local developmental needs. "The government is doing a lot in terms of infrastructure development," Masebe said, adding that the plans would be unveiled soon.
Speaking about preparing for an African World Cup, and reflecting on the experiences of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, FIFA-SA chief executive officer, Michael Palmer, said the 2010 Soccer World Cup should not be just a success, but an event people will remember for a very long time.
"When organising an event, people need to identify their city's priorities. City priorities differ; what Joburg wants to achieve will not be the same as Cape Town," he said.
On a more emotive topic, Palmer said a lot of work had to be done to improve Bafana Bafana's performance, which has been disappointing over the last few years. "It's not good for a hosting nation to be eliminated in the first round."
All hopes lies with the newly appointed coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, the former Brazilian coach.
Reflecting on the impact of hosting the biggest international sporting event on the local psyche, Detlev Krige from the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research addressed the fantasies about wealth and 2010 Soccer World Cup in contemporary Soweto.
"Even before the announcement was made, people in Soweto were already fantasising about 2010. Fantasies and imagination about 2010 should be taken seriously," he said.
The event is seen by residents as a way of making money. "2010 fantasies signal something significant, it signifies the possibility of being more global consumers," he said.
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