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.
06 June 2008
2010 tops World Economic Forum agenda
Cape Town – “Capitalising on Opportunity” was the theme of this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa.
And arguably the biggest opportunity for the re-branding and reinforcing of a positive image of Africa - the continent’s first staging of the Fifa World Cup™ in 2010 - was a major focus of the three-day forum, which finished today at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre.
Over 800 delegates, among them influential figures in politics, business, sport and civil society from around the African continent and the rest of the world, participated in the forum, among them the Presidents of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza, of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, of Malawi Bingu Wa Mutarika, of Ghana John Kufuor, as well as the Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga and the President of the African National Congress Jacob Zuma.
One of the major aspects of the forum was the positioning of Africa as a viable investment and tourism destination, which is also one of the major thrusts of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC).
During one of the forum’s sessions the Chief Executive Officer of the OC, Dr Danny Jordaan, took about 80 of the WEF delegates to the construction site of the Greenpoint Stadium to see the phenomenal progress being made in the construction of what will be a 68 000-seater semifinal venue of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
A total of 2 500 workers are on site daily working on the stadium, in the picturesque Cape Town tourism hub on the slopes of Table Mountain, with the stadium due for completion in December 2009.
For Chilandu Mukuka, a WEF delegate from Zambia’s Ministry of Health, seeing a World Cup stadium rapidly taking shape in such scenic surroundings was a memorable experience.
“Even before the stadium is finished, the stadium is beautiful. It was a real privilege to be here, at a stadium that will host the semifinal of the 2010 Fifa World Cup and seeing it in the making. Many of us might not be here for the tournament itself, so to be here now is really special. It’s my first visit to Cape Town and it really is a beautiful city. Definitely worth coming back to,” said Mukuka.
For Dr Jordaan, the stadium visit was also an important one, given the influential audience and he also used the opportunity to address the delegation on the importance of using the tournament to enhance Africa’s global image.
“The constituency that walked through the stadium were delegates from the World Economic Forum, drawn from all over the world. It is very important to give the continental and global business and economic leadership insight into what’s happening in the country and update them on the progress. I am very impressed with the progress the Cape Town stadium continues to make. It’s going to be one of the World Cup’s icon stadiums and Cape Town will play a significant role in what we believe will be one of the best World Cups ever,” said Dr Jordaan.
Also at the forum, the Organising Committee’s Legacy Manager, Itumeleng Dlamini, took part in a forum titled “Locking in the legacy”, which was also attended by the Burundi President, acclaimed local filmmaker Anant Singh and President of the Western Cape Street Soccer League David Abrahams and looked at the tangible and intangible legacy the 2010 Fifa World Cup will leave on the continent.
President Nkurunziza, who despite his head of State status is still an active footballer who owns a football club, said the 2010 Fifa World Cup would be a watershed moment for the entire African continent.
“I was a player and even now I still play as often as I can and have my own team. I have also opened a school for soccer in Burundi and have been a football coach. I know the importance of football to the continent and as a sportsman I can say this World Cup is very important for Africa. It is the first time the tournament is organised in Africa. A World Cup unites people and this tournament will mobilise people from all across the continent,” said President Nkurunzisa.
“Football is able to bring hope and enables people to gather and unify around a common objective. On the economic front the World Cup will also be a good occasion for South Africa and Africa to showcase its potential,” the Burundian President added.
Dlamini said the 2010 Fifa World Cup “gives us the opportunity to raise the bar as Africans”.
“It gives us the chance to lift our country and our continent and to promote ourselves as a tourist destination and a business and investment destination. This World Cup gives us the opportunity we must seize to promote ourselves. The 2010 World Cup will be a very different World Cup to Germany and must be placed in the context and framework of a developing nation. Hence the tournament will be a catalyst for development and a chance to show we have the infrastructure to conduct international business,” said Dlamini.