LOC, Fifa update media on 2010 progress

Durban - The Local Organising Committee and Fifa have given a 2010 Fifa World Cup update to some 200 local and international journalists during a global media face-off in Durban.

Renowned CNN anchor Richard Quest lead the briefing at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre on Sunday.

LOC Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan, MATCH Hospitality co-Chairman Jaime Byron, South African tourism acting boss Didi Moyle, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) boss Nomhla Hlahla, South African Broadcasting Corporation acting CEO Gab Mampone and South African Police Service Senior Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo were in the hot seat as media representatives fired tough questions about anything and everything 2010.

Naidoo drew from South Africa’s past event experiences to assure the media that the country was more than capable of hosting incident-free 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup and the subsequent 2010 Fifa World Cup.

“We have hosted noteworthy sporting and political events without recording any major incidences. We have all the information required to protect visitors in 2010 and we are working with other international security agencies to gather intelligence to help us in this regard,” he said.

Naidoo said the South African police force was ready to deal with football hooliganism during the Fifa events.

MATCH’s Jaime Byron who has traveled extensively in and out of South Africa over the last two and a half years was beaming with optimism, saying he was excited with the progress made.

“I have traveled in and out [of South Africa] for more than two and a half years, the development is exciting and for me it’s not a surprise but is still exciting to see how things are growing,” he said.

Asked about high levels of skepticism about South Africa’s readiness, LOC’s Danny Jordaan said people who do not think South Africa will be ready to host the Fifa events in 2009 and in 2010 had never been to South Africa to see the progress.

“Those who are saying that [we are not going to be ready] have never been to the country, those who have been to the country stepped off the aircraft in Johannesburg, walked through the airport will tell you that we are going to be ready,” he said.
  
South African airports boss Nomhla Hlahla said all airports being upgraded would be ready for the tournaments.

“We are confident that all our upgrading projects at our airports would be finished in time for the events to be staged in South Africa,” she said.

SABC’s Gab Mampone also told media here that the public broadcaster would be ready to transmit live pictures of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.