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Ending the year on high note
The 2010 South African Local Organising Committee (LOC) held their final
briefing for 2006 in Johannesburg on Wednesday 13 December 2006. It provided
the LOC with the opportunity to take stock of the past year and announce
their plans for 2007.
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Dr Danny Jordaan (SA 2010 LOC CEO) and Dr Irvin
Khoza (SA 2010 LOC Chairman) give their opinions during the briefing
on 13 December 2006 in Johannesburg.
Adrian de Kock / backpagepix
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Chairman of the LOC, Dr Irvin Khoza, thanked the South African
Government for their immense support towards the hosting of the FIFA World
CupT in South Africa. To date, the South African Government have declared
the 2010 FIFA World CupT as a protected event, passed a 2010 FIFA World
Cup Special Measures Bill and has a tax amendment bill pending. The President
of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, showed his personal support by opening the
FIFA Kick-off in Cape Town in October. The government has also committed
15 billion South African Rand to stadiums and to support infrastructure.
The panel also discussed the accommodation for the FIFA World Cup. LOC
CEO, Danny Jordaan, said that accommodation solution for this FIFA World
Cup was 'unique' as this was the first time smaller businesses, such as
bed and breakfasts or guesthouses, could be contracted as accommodation
options. Jordaan added that there would be consistency in pricing and
standardising of accommodation as they will all have to be graded through
Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
Speculation over the progress of Green Point Stadium in Cape Town was
also addressed when Dr. Khoza confirmed that the construction work is
ahead of schedule. The stadium has the full support of both the city and
its Provincial Governmental counterpart.
Also present at the press conference was the Executive Mayor of Durban,
Mr Obed Mlaba. The Durban International Convention Centre has been confirmed
as the venue for the Preliminary Draw which is scheduled for 27 November
2007. The event attracts between 3000-3500 people and will be broadcast
to approximately 200 countries. Mlaba is delighted and said: "We
(Durban) are humbled by the decision and we will work very hard to make
it a memorable one".
Jordaan believes that the five places available for Africa in the 2010
FIFA World Cup will be fiercely contested for. "In the 2006 World
Cup in Germany, Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Togo and Ghana performed
credibly, with Ghana making it to the Round of 16," he said. "We
did not have Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco or Senegal.
So you can imagine the huge contest on the African continent for those
five places and the privilege of competing in the first African World
Cup."
Khoza ended the press briefing by announcing that the LOC Board of Directors
plan to hire a Chief Operating Officer in 2007. He also stated that Ministers
and Deputy Ministers from the South African Government have been assigned
to oversee different stadiums to ensure complete readiness for 2010.
FIFA.com,
13 Dec 2006
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