9: The next 2010 ticketing sales phase begins. Until the 7 April, more than 400,000 tickets will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis via www.fifa.com/2010 or in FNB branches (in South Africa only)
9: Portfolio Committee discussion of the joint visits with the Portfolio Committees on Home Affairs, Sports and Recreation, Tourism, and Police to the host cities of the 2010 World Cup (National Assembly)
10: Evan Radebe, who allegedly threatened to rob tourists during the 2010 World Cup in a television programme will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for a bail application.
11: South Africa’s preparations to host the 2010 World Cup will be addressed in President Jacob Zuma’s State-of-the-Nation address (Cape Town)
OTHER
* The base camps for all participating teams will be announced this week by the 2010 Local Organising Committee
* The Hyundai Goodwill Ball road show has been launched. It will take 32 giant footballs, one for each team that will play in the 2010 World Cup, to participating nations to collect thousands of fans’ signatures.
* The 2010 Local Organising Committee has listed the following tender: The provision of flood lighting systems for team base camps during the 2010 World Cup. So me training sites will require complete installations. The closing date for submissions is 22 February.
* A Chinese factory where World Cup 2010 mascot toys are reportedly being made in sweatshop conditions is being inspected by Global Brands Group, master licensee for all FIFA World Cup 2010 merchandise
* Western Cape operators and individuals intending to transport fans during the World Cup have until the end of this month to apply for a special operating licence for the event.
* The January 31 deadline for media accreditation for the 2010 World Cup has now been extended for South African journalists
* The Competition Commission has initiated an investigation against major airlines BA/Comair, South African Airways, 1Time, SA Airlink, Mango and SA Express for allegedly colluding on prices and pricing strategies for the 2010 World Cup tournament.
* A 24/7 toll-free hotline aimed at addressing the threat of human trafficking in the build-up to the World Cup is now operational (Call 0800-RESCUE or 0800-737283)
* Media accreditation for the 3rd International Football Medicine Conference from 19-21 February 2010 and the Team Workshop from 22-24 February involving representatives from all 32 teams participating teams in the World Cup at Sun City is now open
* The World Cup Trophy Tour is underway. The most famous trophy on the planet is being transported to 86 countries during a 225-day journey ahead of the World Cup
* Countdown 2010: World Cup Soccer update (SABC 1, 6.30pm, every Tuesday)
The Peter Mokaba Stadium looks good. But as things stand, the chances of seeing pigs fly are greater than finding a good sports bar or any sort of decent entertainment in the town.
- Business Day
VERBATIM
’The big man upstairs has big plans for me… I expect the worst, but I’m hoping for the best. I hope to make it to the World Cup. I don’t think I will be out for that long.’
- Bafana Bafana and Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez
YOUR FORUM
I have the 4th Feb edition of Project 2010 in front of me. I have read every edition of this report since its inception. No mention of the terrible news of accommodation contracts cancelled. Please don’t treat us as unimportant - everyone at the World Cup needs a bed to sleep in. Better make it right before your credibility goes the same way as the airlines.
David
Fleet Street’s horror stories may well deter Henry Sprong and his snaggletoothed wife Agnes from coming over for the footie, but this is a good thing. We don’t want their type here. This is the soccer World Cup, for God’s sake, not a badminton tournament. We want people who will visit South Africa precisely because danger lurks around every corner. We want their hooligans. Every speed-snorting, beer-quaffing, gay-bashing, dart-throwing, glottal-stopping one of them. There is nothing quite like an English soccer hooligan and he will make a worthy opponent for our muggers, hijackers, con artists and other assorted members of the local banditry.
The fourth 2010 World Cup ticket sales phase kicks off at 1pm today with the release of 400,000 tickets for 53 matches. This phase which lasts until 7 April will be on a first come, first serve basis. Applications can be made via Fifa.com or at FNB branches.
So far, a total of 1,206,865 tickets have been requested from 192 countries by the general public (excluding those tickets that have been sold through the participating teams to their fans). Of this total, 585,175 tickets were drawn successfully, and 413,072 (70,6%) of those were allocated to South African residents.
Outside the host country, the US received the highest number of tickets drawn, followed by the UK and Mexico. In Africa, Botswana remains the leading country behind the hosts.
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FIFA issues ticketing warning
Horst Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Sub-Committee, yesterday urged South Africans to secure 2010 tickets before it’s too late. ’The first come first serve principle means that if you do not apply on time, you run the risk of not getting a ticket,’ he said. Schmidt said two million 2010 tickets have been sold so far, and ’we still have two more ticketing phases to sell out the event.’
He said a few tickets could potentially still be made available for all matches at a later stage.
Photo: Project 2010
MAIN NEWS
General: SA ready for swine flu in 2010
Although Britain has decided to close its swine flu crisis unit, South Africa will be on high alert throughout the coming 2010 World Cup. The Times reports that Britain was one of the first countries hit by swine flu but said last week that it planned to shut down its National Pandemic Flu Service, with health officials reporting a steady decrease in new swine flu cases. Tourists visiting South Africa have been advised to be vaccinated in their home countries against swine flu and measles.
The Catholic Church in South Africa said it has prepared a special prayer for the 2010 World Cup as part of a series of initiatives to ensure the success of the upcoming football event. South African Catholic Bishop’s Conference (SACBC) said on its website that the Church in South Africa wanted to contribute to the success of the World Cup in its own way by offering a prayer dedicated to the tournament. ’Almighty God, creator of all, as people from every nation gather with excitement
and enthusiasm for the 2010 World Soccer Cup may South Africans be good hosts, and our
visitors, welcomed guests and the players from every team be blessed with good sportsmanship
and health,’ the prayer begins.
South Africa’s sports minister Makhenkesi Stofile called on airlines not to exploit 2010 World Cup visitors amid a probe into possible airfare price-fixing, notes a report on the iafrica.com site. ’I enjoin all airlines not to milk the people of South Africa and indeed the people of the world simply because they are keen to be part of the World Cup. It is not right. It is morally incorrect,’ he said. Stofile was reacting to an investigation by South Africa’s Competition Commission into airlines suspected of colluding on prices and pricing strategies for domestic routes during the World Cup.
South Africa’s health sector is ’90%’ ready for the soccer world cup and working quickly to close the gaps, Deputy Health Minister Molefi Sefularo said on Monday.
’So far we are happy about the 90% level of readiness, but need to begin to work with speed to close gaps,’ he said in a speech prepared for delivery at a workshop of 2010 provincial co-ordinators in Pretoria. A report on the News24 site notes that the sector has to finalise preparations for responsive health services, as well as a disaster management plan and prompt responses.
Stadia: Beautiful stadium ... pity about the traffic
Stadium operator Sail/Stade de France and the City of Cape Town say they will go back to the drawing board to devise a comprehensive traffic management plan for the third World Cup test event next month. This comes after traffic ground to a halt around the Cape Town Stadium precinct on Saturday, causing thousands of spectators to miss the curtain-raiser match between the SA Legends and the International 10s. According to a report on the IOL site, motorists with tickets for VIP parking waited up to an hour to get into the main parkade because sniffer dogs checked every vehicle entering the stadium precinct for explosives and narcotics.
To make sure the country can handle the expected massive influx of visitors for the 2010 World Cup, South Africa’s airports have been undergoing major upgrades and are ready.
The Sunday Vision reports that the upgrades will go far beyond catering for the fans during the World Cup. Though not normally used as a commercial airport, Wonderboom will provide a service to fans in Tshwane during the World Cup, and has had its arrival and departure lounges refurbished and parking facilities extended for this purpose.
Cosatu will not allow the ’ false’ 2010 mascot Zakumi, which is being manufactured in China, to be sold in South Africa, notes an iFashion report. The union also warns that it will put a stop to any FIFA or 2010 World Cup related functions in Cape Town until FIFA acts ethically and insists on ethical standards in the manufacture of FIFA related products. This comes in the wake of news that T-shirts for the World Cup and Bafana Bafana, as well as the Zakumi mascot which, Cosatu says, is supposed to be a symbol of our country are not being manufactured here.
Durban street traders have been warned not to engage in ambush marketing during the 2010 World Cup or else they could face possible fines. During a public meeting between the eThekwini Municipality and street traders held at the city hall to discuss 2010 FIFA by-laws, other issues that were highlighted included illegal forms of advertising and prohibited trading areas. Malusi Mhlongo, a lawyer for the city, said street traders would continue to trade as normal during the match days at their permanent trading premises.
A temporary stadium that could have a capacity as high as 8 000 will be constructed in Berlin for German fans to watch the 2010 World Cup. The arena, to be built at the disused Tempelhof airport, will cost a reported €1.5 million to construct, and feature giant screens measuring as much as 100 square feet, notes a Sports Pro Media report. ’This will be a special event venue for the whole family, with food, jersey sales, concerts, celebrities, stars and cheerleaders,’ said organiser Karl-Heinz Mueller.
Rocketing prices in South Africa are causing major concern among 2010 World Cup organisers, who fear profiteering could deter more soccer fans than alarmist reporting about violent crime. The Monitor reports that South African and FIFA officials have angrily condemned what they see as emotional and inaccurate reporting, especially in England and Germany, about the dangers to soccer supporters from some of the world’s most violent criminals. They say an enormous police operation will keep fans safe.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) tasked to oversee government’s preparation for the 2010 World Cup has confirmed that all plans for the spectacle are running smoothly. ’ The IMC is satisfied with the preparations for the 2010 World Cup. All the bricks and motar are in now in place,’ said the chair of the IMC, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. He said the committee was satisfied with all the reports submitted to them.
John Terry had to stand down as England captain, had to be made to understand that certain honours require certain responsibilities. Being captain of the England football team is the greatest sporting honour in this country and Terry sullied that honour. The Telegraph reports that he had to go. On entering Capello's office at Wembley at 2pm on Friday, Terry must have felt like a condemned man. So it has taken an Italian to remind English football that standards count, that the England captain is a role model. The hope now is that the team can concentrate on preparing for South Africa.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is thrilled Rio Ferdinand has been named England captain. Ferdinand, who missed the teams 5-0 victory against Portsmouth through suspension, replaces John Terry ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The Chelsea defender has been stripped of the honour by manager Fabio Capello following damaging allegations about his private life.
