August 21, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
WITH the renovation and construction of stadiums well ahead of schedule, Joburg is ready to host "the best Fifa World Cup ever" in 2010.
So says Linda Ngwenya, the director of the City's 2010 unit. He was speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, 16 August before a tour to showcase the progress and developments under way in the city as part of preparations to host the world's greatest sporting event.
Construction is underway at Orlando Stadium, one of the 2010 training venues
The city was well ahead of schedule compared to Germany at the same stage, according to Ngwenya. Well-equipped soccer stadiums, legacy projects, an integrated public transport system, greening the city, getting ready for an avalanche of tourists - "all these projects are far advanced and in every case will be finished well in time for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™", he said.
State investment
Speaking at the same occasion, the director-general in the 2010 Fifa World Cup government unit, Joe Phaahla, said the government had invested R17,4-billion in infrastructure for the World Cup as part of a much broader spending programme towards 2010.
"A large amount of work is under way, particularly in construction and other infrastructure development projects such as transport, stadium construction, accommodation and communication."
Phaahla said the stadium construction programme in all host cities was on schedule and those stadiums earmarked for the competition would be completed in time for the Confederations Cup in 2009.
Johannesburg has four major soccer stadiums - FNB, also known as Soccer City; Ellis Park; Orlando; and Rand. Soccer City and Ellis Park have been put forward to host World Cup matches and Orlando and Rand will be used as practice venues.
The revamp of Soccer City in Nasrec, expected to host the opening ceremony and match as well as the final match of the World Cup, is "far ahead" of schedule and is expected to be complete by 2009 in time for the Confederations Cup. The stadium, where 15 of the 64 matches played during the World Cup will take place, will have a capacity for 94 700 spectators by the time 2010 rolls around.
Tenders for upgrading at Ellis Park Stadium were awarded in July and construction was expected to start soon, according to Ngwenya. The 50 000-seat stadium will get an additional 10 000 seats when new tiers are built behind the goals at the north and south ends of the ground. New seating will be erected for VIPs and the media.
Orlando Stadium
Earmarked as a World Cup training ground, construction of the R200-million Orlando Stadium was also far ahead of schedule. Work began in May 2006 and the new, 40 000-seat stadium was expected to be complete by 2008, according to Ngwenya.
"Dobsonville Stadium, also in Soweto, is also undergoing refurbishments. When complete, [it] is going to be the most state-of-the-art football and athletics stadium in the city."
Revamps, however, stretched beyond the stadiums, Ngwenya said. An Olympic-size, in-door swimming pool and gymnasium, an up-market housing development and a trendy shopping centre would change the face of the township.
Soweto would also be boosted by the greening of the Klipspruit and its tributaries. A theatre would be built while Diepkloof hostel would be transformed into an integrated settlement.
The Rand Stadium, which is undergoing refurbishments valued at R69-million, will also be used as a training venue during the World Cup. Construction here started in December 2006 and work on the 28 000-seater stadium is expected to be completed by October 2008.
Apart from the stadiums to be used during the World Cup, a further 238 around the city had been identified for greening and upgrading, Ngwenya explained.
Accommodation
Turning to accommodation, Ngwenya said numerous hotels and bed and breakfast facilities were available in close proximity to the stadiums and a dedicated bus service would be provided by the City to enhance or supplement the existing public transport facilities to service the IBC requirements.
"One sphere of accommodation that has been proposed for use during the World Cup are residences at the universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand, where over 5 000 rooms are available. All requirements such as laundry, restaurants, security and recreation will be available to the media occupying these facilities."
Ngwenya said Johannesburg was very aware of the fact that it would come to symbolise the whole of South Africa and, to some extent, the whole continent. "During the four weeks of the World Cup, Johannesburg will probably be the most popular and talked about city in the world."
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
