News
2010 more than just a game – Govt
21 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup to be hosted in South Africa should be used as a vehicle to send new images to the world about the people of South Africa and the African continent alike, media delegates in Beijing have heard.
World Cup to boost SA tourism
21 August - South African tourism and leisure sectors are set to benefit from the country’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, Deputy Minister of Finance Jabulani Moleketi said on Thursday.
SA police promise safe World Cup
19 August - South African National Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Pruis says the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be held in South Africa will be safe.
Media to scrutinise 2010 preparations
15 August - A contingent of international and local media representatives has been invited to put preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ under the microscope in Beijing, the Department of Sport and Recreation said in a statement on Friday.
2010 lessons from Olympic volunteers
15 August - Potential volunteers for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be hosted in South Africa will have to be on top of their game to ensure that crucial areas of operations are well-manned during the events.
SA must unite to make 2010 a success - govt
13 August - With less than 666 days left before the biggest soccer event on the African continent kicks off, government has called on South Africans to come together and share the vision of making it a memorable success.
Fifa: Nothing can go wrong in 2010
12 August - Fifa boss Sepp Blatter has once again reiterated his confidence in South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ saying the event will change the face of the tournament.
Beijing comes alive with Olympic spirit
12 August - Giant outdoor screens brandishing the Olympic circles, sports memorabilia, Chinese flags, strict traffic flow protocol, heavy police presence, branded commodities, scores of tourists, giant official mascots, late night food markets, and game.
LOC gets ball rolling at Host Cities
06 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee has announced the appointment of eight Organising Committee Venue Managers in a move aimed at dispersing its operations to host city level.
2010 boss for Soccerex
05 August - Soccerex have announced that Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee will be participating at the 2008 Soccerex Conference programme.
Volunteer applications hit 20 000
04 August - More than 20 000 South Africans have applied to volunteer during the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ tournament, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Volunteer Programme said on Friday.
2010 security exercises in Bloemfontein
04 August - South African law enforcement agencies will hold joint security exercises in Bloemfontein in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday.
02 July 2008
2010 World Cup to be staged in SA: Fifa
Simangaliso Zwane
Pretoria – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association – commonly known by its acronym Fifa – has for the first time spoken out about President Sepp Blatter’s 2010 Fifa World Cup™ ‘Plan B’ comments he made on Austrian Television Channel ORF2.
In clarifying these comments, Fifa Media Officer Delia Fischer, gave assurance that Fifa remains – as ever – convinced that the 2010 Fifa World Cup will take place in South Africa as planned.
Saying: “There is currently no reason to believe that we will have to re-evaluate the situation due to any organisational issues.”
Speaking from Zurich in Switzerland, Fifa Media Officer Delia Fischer said it is true that the Fifa President made this statement on the ORF2 television channel for the first time on Sunday, 29 June 2008.
Blatter was quoted in the media as saying: "I would be quite negligent as president if I did not have a Plan B tucked away at the back of a drawer.”
"But only a natural disaster would make it active,” he reportedly said.
Fischer reiterated Blatter’s comment saying as has happened with the past World Cups and with any undertaking of such (2010 World Cup) magnitude, a ‘contingency plan’ had to be set aside in the event of a natural disaster (e.g. an earthquake), an epidemic (e.g. SARS) or any other similar catastrophe in a host nation.
“Every international organisation – whether in the private sector, an NGO or a federation – has a ‘contingency plan’ for international projects of such magnitude.
“If we did not have such a contingency plan, we – as the world governing body and organisers of the world’s biggest sporting event (with billions of spectators worldwide) – would not be taking our responsibility towards football seriously. FIFA takes this responsibility very seriously indeed,” Fischer told SA2010 Website.
She says part of this responsibility means that Fifa has to give serious thought to alternative scenarios that would guarantee the smooth organisation of Fifa competitions.
The Fifa Confederations Cup to be staged in South Africa in 12 month’s time will be seen as a dry run for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
“Both Fifa and the South African Local Organising Committee regard the FIFA Confederations Cup in 12 months’ time as a crucial and decisive dry run for the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” she said.
Fischer says Fifa never publishes contingency plans as they are part of the security plans for Fifa competitions. Any such publication could jeopardise organisational and operational security.
Meanwhile, Sapa reports that Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan said on Tuesday that only an act of God can prevent South Africa from hosting the 2010 World Cup.
"I have spoken to [Fifa president Sepp] Blatter and he reaffirmed that only God can prevent South Africa staging the World Cup in 2010," he told reporters in Johannesburg.
Jordaan was furious over reports in the local media quoting Fifa president Sepp Blatter as saying he had a Plan B in case South Africa was not ready to host the 2010 showpiece.
"I could not believe my ears and my eyes when I returned from watching the final of the Euro 2008 in Vienna, Austria yesterday (Monday). I got numerous calls from SA journalists wanting to know what is going on.
"I am amazed by these reports. Blatter has gone out of his way to bring the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. It makes no sense for him to say he has another plan. Obviously Fifa must have a plan if we suffered a major natural catastrophe, but that is all."
Jordaan added that 2010 hospitality packages had been selling better than expected. He stated he was not worried about the mounting crime in the country.
"We have staged rugby and cricket World Cups. We host rugby Super 14 teams here regularly. We had the Welsh and Italian rugby teams here last month and Manchester United visit us later this month (for the Vodacom Challenge). We did not have a single security problem at any of these above events.
"I do not believe we will have one security problem at the Confederations Cup or the World Cup."
The Confederations Cup was a dry run for the biggest soccer show on earth and would be staged in South Africa from June 14 to 28 featuring world champions Italy, Bafana Bafana plus the six continental champions, Spain, Egypt, United States, Iraq, Brazil and the soon to be crowed Oceanic champions.
Said Jordaan: "If we had problems then why would countries such as the US be sending a delegation here at the weekend to check on their base camp and accommodation for the Confederations Cup?"