News
Soccerex to put SA on world map
06 October - The imminent hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ in South Africa has opened many doors for South Africa, one of them being Soccerex, the biggest football-focused exhibition in the world.
Referees set sights on 2010 World Cup
02 October - Qualifying is already well underway for teams looking to book their place at the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™, but it is not just players and coaches of the various countries who are looking ahead to 2010. The world's top referees also have their sights set on South Africa.
2010 plans to be piloted during PSL match
01 October - Saturday’s Premier Soccer League clash between Orlando Pirates and Santos at Ellis Park Stadium will be used to pilot Park and Ride facilities in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, the department of transport said on Tuesday.
Transport Month highlights 2010 progress
30 September - Preparations to welcome thousands of fans to South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ spectacular are at an advanced stage at OR Tambo International Airport.
Government: Politics won’t affect World Cup
29 September - The unfolding changes in the Executive of the Republic of South Africa will not have any negative impact on preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
‘Adopt a Nation’ campaign to galvanise kids
29 September - The Local Organising Committee South Africa has invited millions of school children to be part of 2010 Fifa World Cup™. The “Adopt a Nation” school programme was launched at the Nasrec Sports Precinct in Johannesburg on Saturday.
New SA president pledges best World Cup
26 September - President-elect of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, says the government remains committed to all the promises it made to Fifa and the international football community to deliver the best 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
Klerksdorp city banks on 2010 spinoffs
25 September - The City of Matlosana is ready to benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ with sponsorships and football development programmes already in place.
Zakumi: 2010 Fifa World Cup Official Mascot launched
22 September - Zakumi, the Official 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Mascot, has made his first ever public appearance at a media launch at SABC’s Auckland Park studios in Johannesburg.
2010 World Cup Mascot launch on Monday
19 September - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) – official broadcast partner of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ – will on Monday unveil the long awaited Official Mascot of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The launch will be broadcast live on SABC1.
20 November 2007
World Cup preparation costs escalate
Shaun BentonCape Town - The cost of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is expected to escalate by between R2.8 billion and R3.4 billion, according to Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi.
Briefing reporters on government's progress towards hosting a peaceful world cup, the minister said the key challenge for government currently is confronting is the escalation of costs related to 2010 projects.
As much as R17.4 billion has already been budgeted for 2010 projects, including R8.4 billion to build or refurbish the ten host stadia and R9 billion for supporting transport infrastructure.
The escalated cost projections could thus place the overall cost of 2010 projects, including stadia and surrounding transport, at as much as R20.8 billion.
Mr Moleketi said government technical teams will be closely interrogating projected cost escalations.
These teams include a technical team working out of the Department of Public Works, as well as the 2010 Local Organising Committee technical team. Extra capacity will come from the National Treasury.
No detail will be spared, he said, as these teams pour over the inputs.
The National Treasury will have the exact cost escalations by next month and decided on how government will deal with the issue. "By December we will take a view as to how to deal with escalations," he said.
He said that government was looking at the possibility of the rising international costs of input factors rather than the possibility of profiteering by the contractors involved in stadia construction or refurbishing.
If the numbers relating to the world cup need to be revised, this would happen when the Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, presents the national budget to Parliament in February next year.
It would be in the 2008 budget that the costs of information and telecommunications infrastructure, a key element of success for the world cup, along with transport and stadia, for the tournament would be revealed.
However, Mr Moleketi pointed out that there was a possibility that these costs could actually be reduced as items have come in at less-than-projected costs. The roof of Green Point stadium has cost R100 million less than expected even though it has to be imported from Germany.
The Department of Communications has already presented National Treasury with the figures for the costs of broadband supply and other expenses relating to the efficient broadcasting of images and voice across the world during the 2010 tournament.
However, the overall costs of 2010 projects could be seen in the context of government spending on infrastructure over the medium term of over R400 billion.
Mr Moleketi warned that the massive government infrastructure projects - including those for 2010 - would hit the country's current account, which reflects expenditure on imports against foreign exchange from exports.
According to the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement presented by Mr Manuel last month, the increased exports over the past year saw the current account deficit of 6.2 percent in early 2006 widen to 6.7 percent by early 2007.
However, a widening current account deficit should not be seen as worrisome, said Mr Moleketi, who described it as "a good deficit" because it is directly related to major improvements in the country's infrastructure and productive capacity, which would augur well for South Africa in the years to come.
Source: BuaNews