The clatter of construction trucks and cranes cuts through the morning
chill as an army of hard-hatted workers dismantles a dilapidated sports
center and prepares the ground for a stadium which, in almost exactly
three years time, will echo to the chants of nearly 70,000 World Cup soccer
fans.
The burst of activity in downtown Cape Town is mirrored the length and
breadth of South Africa as the country gears up for the World Cup, building
new road and rail links, expanding airports and erecting hotels for more
than 350,000 visitors.
South Africa will be ready - and safe - for the world for the first match
June 11, 2010 kicking off a monthlong international party, government
leaders insist on a daily basis, a refrain echoed by FIFA. Organisers
point out that the country has hosted rugby and cricket World Cups and
major international conferences. But doubts persist.
"Plan A is South Africa, Plan B is South Africa, Plan C is South
Africa and Plan D is South Africa," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said
at the world soccer body's congress last month in an attempt to quash
persistent rumors that he might move the showcase held every four years
because of fears that South Africa can't cope.
"I was fighting to bring the World Cup to Africa. Now, I am not fighting,
I am confident we are doing it," said Blatter, who will visit South
Africa June 18-19 for a look at progress so far.
Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi, who is overseeing the planning
and spending, said, "Pessimists will have to eat their words."
The pessimists have plenty of ammunition. Top of the list of problems
is transport. South Africa does not have a slick national railway network
like Germany's. Notoriously dangerous minibus taxis, crime infested commuter
trains and long distance buses form the backbone of the transport system
here - though the wealthy minority use cars and planes.
"Twenty-Ten" is being uttered across the nation. The tournament
is seen as a magic bullet, with the government using it as a catalyst
for a desperately needed transport overhaul costing more than 40 billion
rands (US$5.6 billion, euro4.1 billion).
"For the first time in the history of South Africa we will have massive
investments across all transport systems - passenger rail, taxis, buses
and road networks that will form an efficient, affordable and reliable
integrated public transport network," Transport Minister Jeff Radebe
said recently.
The minister predicts an additional 60 trains, 600 luxury inter city buses,
and 10,000 minibuses will be needed to transport fans on the busiest days
at the World Cup. He says this is manageable.
The country's main airports currently resemble building sites as their
terminal and parking facilities are expanded. A new airport is being built
near the Indian Ocean coastal city of Durban.
The Gautrain project - a high speed rail link between the capital Pretoria
and the economic hub of Johannesburg - is way above budget and behind
schedule. But authorities say the segment linking Johannesburg airport
with the posh suburb of Sandton - home to many of the hotels - and the
city center will be ready. The government is also upgrading commuter railways
in other cities and setting up networks of high speed buses.
It is offering minibus taxi owners cash to scrap old vehicles and buy
new ones. But it is up against a brick wall in reforming taxi drivers
who routinely ignore traffic laws and intimidate other road users. Dozens
of people have died in the past year as rival taxi operators compete for
lucrative routes.
Stadium construction and renovations are in full swing - leaving the housing
ministry fretting about cement shortages and rising raw material prices
for houses for the poor. Two new stadiums to host semifinal matches are
being built in the southern coastal city of Cape Town and in Durban, as
well as in the northern town of Polokwane, the northeastern city of Nelspruit
near Kruger National Park and the southern port city of Port Elizabeth.
Cape Town's planned 68,000-seat arena, which was delayed by political
infighting and legal challenges, is slightly ahead of schedule, according
to city spokesman Pieter Cronje.
Upgrading work is proceeding on Johannesburg's 95,000-seat Soccer City,
venue of the opening match and final, with contractors maintaining that
it will be complete with its shell resembling a calabash ahead of the
October 2009 deadline. Renovations are also going ahead at Johannesburg's
Ellis Park and elsewhere.
The government has earmarked 8.4 billion rands ($A6.67 billion) for stadiums.
On accommodation, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk believes South
Africa will be able to secure the 55,000 rooms predicted to be needed.
A four-star hotel opened in Soweto last year in a development heralded
as "opening the floodgates" to new accommodation in the townships.
Van Schalkwyk has also committed the country's stunning national parks
to providing accommodation and, if need be, to erecting tents for the
visitors. "Imagine the unparalleled luxury of attending a morning
soccer match followed by a sunset game drive," the minister said
at a recent seminar.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula earlier this year went on
a European tour to look for advice and try to convince skeptics that South
Africa will be safe in 2010, despite the rampant armed robberies, muggings
and a murder rate of more than 50 per day. Police numbers will be boosted
to 190,000 - up from 152,000 - by the time of the tournament.
High profile murders and armed robberies - including a robbery in April
against South African Football Association CEO Raymond Hack - do not help
Nqakula's case.
The big unpredictable factor is the weather. The tournament will be held
during winter in South Africa. Temperatures are near freezing at night
in Johannesburg; gales and torrential rain are buffeting Cape Town and
even balmy Durban feels distinctly chilly.
Organisers insist that they will develop the concept of Fan Parks, which
were so wildly popular in Germany last year, not least to allow hundreds
of South Africans who can't afford tickets to watch the matches. Just
don't come expecting tropical African nights!
,
June 9, 2007
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