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World Cup 'safe' from SA turmoil
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Fifa boss Sepp Blatter was in South
Africa earlier last week (news.bbc.co.uk)
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World football body Fifa has said
it is confident that changes to the South African government will not
affect the nation's hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
Eleven members of the South African cabinet say they are resigning along
with President Thabo Mbeki.
Among them is deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, who is in charge
of finances for the World Cup.
But Fifa says it has been in talks with African National Congress boss
Jacob Zuma, a possible future president.
Show must go on
Mr Mbeki is to leave office on Thursday after accusations that he interfered
in the prosecution of Mr Zuma on corruption charges.
"This is something we are watching very closely," said Fifa's
director of communications and public affairs, Hans Klaus.
"[Fifa president] Sepp Blatter has been in touch with Mr Zuma's people,
as well as those of Mr Mbeki, in the past week.
"Both of them, as well as Nelson Mandela, agree the World Cup must
go ahead.
"What has happened in South Africa is not what we would have expected,
but we don't want to comment on the political situation - we work with
the local organising committee board."
Interim government
Mr Moleketi chairs the 2010 Technical Co-ordinating Committee, which is
overseeing the new physical and transport infrastructure ahead of the
football tournament.
But Fifa said if Mr Moleketi did not agree to carry on in the role under
a future government, then it was confident the post could be passed smoothly
to a new incumbent without seriously holding up work on the infrastructure.
Mr Klaus also said Fifa would be making contact with the intermediate
South African government, under Kgalema Motlanthe, which will run the
country until new elections next year.
"There are some government people on the local organising committee
who may change, but this has been the situation in previous World Cups,
we are not too concerned at the present," Mr Klaus said.
"If new people come in we think they will soon become familiar with
their roles."
Earlier this month, Sepp Blatter said that he was pleased with progress
and was "convinced once more and determined once more that this World
Cup in South Africa will be a great World Cup".
news.bbc.co.uk,
24 September 2008
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