| 2010 stadia all on track - 13/04/2008 |
All stadiums earmarked for the 2010 World Cup are on track to be completed in time for the Confederations Cup next year as well as the World Cup, despite recent strikes by workers at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, authorities say. The Sunday World reports that the Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has had a successful turn-around after an earlier scare that it would not be able to host the Confederations Cup. ’We are dead on track to hand over the stadium by December 2008,’ says Errol Heyns, Nelson Mandela Bay director of 2010 projects. Heyns says the council is building an excellent quality stadium which will be completed six months before the Confederations Cup.
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Full Sunday World report
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| Building ban could be costly - 11/04/2008 |
Plans to ban construction during the 2010 World Cup could have a negative impact on the city’s economy and jobs in the construction industry, business says. The Cape Argus reports that both the Cape Town Regional Chamber and the Chamber of Commerce of South Africa have warned that the move could be detrimental to economic growth if it was widespread. The city, as part of the FIFA Host City Agreement, is required to halt construction near stadiums and roadworks on major roads during the six week period of the tournament. Dr Laurine Platzky, the Western Cape co-ordinator for the 2010 World Cup, said the same principle was applied in other host countries such as Germany and was implemented for safety and health reasons and to allow free movement of people and traffic.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| EC building activity gain momentum - 10/04/2008 |
The momentum of building activity in the Eastern Cape increased against a general nation trend downwards, as indicated by sales figures released by the Cement and Concrete Institute. They showed that national cement sales plunged by 18,7% year-on-year in March to 1,039 million tons (Mt) after growing by 6,6% in 2007 to a record 14,124Mt. Analysts said the 2010 World Cup stadiums, some new dams and the Gautrain project should add to cement demand in the current year, but the March data may have been influenced by the fact that Easter was in March this year, while last year it fell into April.
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| Group Five to source foreign skills - 09/04/2008 |
The biggest gap in the construction skills value chain was that of skilled artisans and foremen, construction giant Group Five’s executives said. Engineering News reports that in SA, Group Five had the approval for 1 500 work permits to bring in skilled foreign nationals into the country, as it had significant projects to complete, as well as a number of recently secured contracts to start. Meanwhile, Group Five CE Mike Upton reported that the company’s mega-projects in SA were all progressing on time, despite some challenging weather and industrial conditions. The Moses Mabhida stadium, which experienced delays owing to strike action at the end of 2007, as well as heavy rain, was back on track and the issued had been addressed. Also related to the 2010 World Cup was the King Shaka International Airport contract valued at R6.8bn, which started in August 2007. The project was said to be on track and completion was expected in mid-2010.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Cement sales plunge 18.7% - 09/04/2008 |
Cement sales plunged by 18.7% year-on-year last month to 1,039,573 tons after growing by 6.6% the same period last year to a record 14,124m tons, data supplied by the Cement and Concrete Institute showed. Business Day reports that the 2010 World Cup stadia, some new dams and the Gautrain project should add to cement demand in the current year, but last month’s data may have been influenced by the fact that Easter took place in March this year, while last year it took place in April. In February, cement sales grew by 11.7% to 1,162,787 tons.
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Full Business Day report
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| Major repairs for Waterkloof air-base runway - 08/04/2008 |
The runway of the country’s most prominent air-force base has to be repaired ahead of next year’s election in South Africa to accommodate world leaders who will attend the inauguration of whomever is elected president. This was revealed at a visit by Public Works Minister Thoko Didiza to the Waterkloof Air Base in Pretoria. It is expected that the upgrading of the runway and related work will cost more than R600m. Tenders for the runway upgrade project, which has been on and off for years, close on 16 April, public works chief operating officer Solly Malebye said. It is expected that the tender will then be awarded within two weeks after the closing date, with the site being handed over to the contractor in May. He said while part of the runway project will be completed for the presidential inauguration, it is hoped that the whole project will be completed in time for the 2010 World Cup.
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Full Mail & Guardian Online report
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| Bay stadium set for record finish - 03/04/2008 |
Nothing ’barring a typhoon’ will stop Nelson Mandela Bay’s 2010 World Cup stadium being completed in time for approval in March next year as a Confederations Cup venue, says the executive director of the LOC. Errol Heynes was speaking at a briefing in which he told business people that the building of the PE stadium was ’dead on schedule’ and likely to establish a record for the completion of such a massive project. The Herald reports that he was answering a question following a report that various organisations – including FIFA and the Inter-Ministerial Committee involved in the World Cup – were concerned about construction delays, including seating, roads, and other work outside the stadium.
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| Stadium ’will pass the test’ - 03/04/2008 |
The Eastern Cape government is confident that the new Nelson Mandela Bay Sports Centre in Port Elizabeth will pass the test for the 2009 Confederations Cup. Gogo Manqoyi, the province’s department of sports and recreation’s 2010 World Cup strategic manager, said they were encouraged by the pace of the constructors. The Sowetan reports that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has reviewed their construction schedule in order to meet FIFA’s deadline ahead of the LOC board meeting on April 29 and 30. This was after FIFA raised concerns around the building of the sports centre, including fears that the seats would not be ready six months ahead of the Confederations Cup.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Bafokeng Stadium ahead of schedule – 03/02/2008 |
The upgrading of Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng, outside Rustenburg, for the 2010 World Cup has been reviewed to enable constructors to complete the project in November. The Sowetan reports that it was initially scheduled to be completed in December, but the Bafokeng want to use it for the Nelson Mandela Challenge in December. ’You will recall that we are sponsors of this tournament for the next three years,’ said Ezzy Seabelo, a development manager of Royal Bafokeng Sports. ’Unlike other 2010 World Cup venues, we are doing minor upgrading on the venue in line with the requirements of FIFA.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Growing concerns over PE stadium - 01/04/2008 |
There are still fears that the municipality might not make the deadline for the R1.2bn 2010 World Cup stadium to be ready for the Confederations Cup next year, despite Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s confidence that it will meet the FIFA deadline. The Herald reports that Mlambo-Ngcuka visited the city as part of a government programme to monitor and evaluate progress made with preparations for the 2010 projects. Although Mlambo- Ngcuka gave the stadium a stamp of approval at a press conference after the site visit, Nelson Mandela Bay officials apparently faced a grilling behind the scenes from the deputy president’s office. The stadium also came under fire as it was reported at the International Marketing Council that FIFA had delayed the decision of hosting the Confederations Cup at this venue because of construction delays, including seating and external works.
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| Eassy construction gets under way - 28/03/2008 |
The East African Submarine Cable System (Eassy) is confident it meets all the Department of Communications’ criteria and will be able to land in SA. Eassy announced that construction of its cable by Alcatal-Lucent had begun. This means the physical survey of the route will be conducted over the next two months, after which the actual cable will be manufactured and laid along the East African coast. Joseph Solan, a senior advisor with the International Finance Corporation’s Department of Global Information and Communications Technologies, says Eassy aims to be operational within the first half of 2010 and, while he would not commit to an exact date, he says: ’We will definitely be working in time for the 2010 World Cup.’
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Full ITWeb report
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| Contractor in court over PE stadium - 28/03/2008
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The gloves are off over the R1.1bn PE stadium after the Nelson Mandela Metropole took the main contractor to court because it was running late with its construction. In an urgent application, municipal manager John Richards pleaded with the Grahamstown High Court to instruct contractors Grinaker-LTA and its Interbeton Ibhayi joint venture to proceed with a revised works programme in order to finish the stadium on time. The Dispatch reports that the stadium is among those earmarked to host 2010 World Cup matches and is especially important as PE has also been identified as one of five host cities for next year’s Confederations Cup.
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Full report in The Dispatch
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| Zille salutes WC stadium workers - 26/03/2008 |
Cape Town’s 2010 World Cup stadium is a lesson for all the cynics who said the project could never happen. That’s according to city mayor Helen Zille who marked the first anniversary of when excavation started by returning to the site on Wednesday. ’To all the critics and cynics who thought Cape Town could not do it, the evidence that they are wrong is here for them to see for themselves. I hope that this stadium will be a symbol to show that South Africa can get it right.’ Surrounded by several hundred construction workers, Zille was clearly impressed with the progress that has taken place. Her visit came just days after Joe Paahla, Director General of the government’s 2010 unit, raised concerns about state of preparations at Green Point.
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Full report on the Project 2010 site
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| Major boost for EC - 22/03/2008 |
A massive R14bn will be invested in the Eastern Cape’s retail industry as development of 10 major shopping centres kicks off this year, with investors scrambling from saturated markets in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal. In a coup for the Bay, development group Billion has earmarked the city for what will arguably be the biggest mall on the continent, along with a massive residential and hospitality development costing R8,5bn. The Weekend Post reports that the massive development will span 450 000m_ and employ up to 6 000 people during construction, which will be split into two phases. Phase one was earmarked for partial completion in time for the 2010 World Cup.
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Full Weekend Post report
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| Bloemhof Centre Gearing up for 2010 World Cup - 20/03/2008 |
Construction of the Bloemhof Centre is progressing rapidly and the completion date of June 2008 is within reach. It is already quite clear that this centre is going to become an important landmark in the Stellenbosch landscape. With all eyes on SA with the World Cup 2010, sport and recreational centres like these will most certainly be much sought after. According to a News24 report, this project is the biggest privately funded project ever planned and executed by a school in the Western Cape, and the success of it lies on the level of engagement among parents, members of the community and the project team.
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Full report on the News 24 site
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| Cape Town stadium on track - 20/03/2008 |
Despite a tight deadline for the completion of construction of the Green Point stadium, the City of Cape Town has assured the public that the stadium will be ready on time. ’We have secured the completion date with the contractors and we are firmly on track to meet the deadline,’ said the city’s Executive Director of Service Delivery Integration, Mike Marsden. Marsden was responding to the 2010 Mid-Term Government Report compiled by the 2010 World Cup Government Unit indicating that there were risks to meeting the deadline.
The report which provided the state of readiness from various government departments and host cities as part of implementing 2010 World Cup government guarantees and obligations, noted that the Green Point and the Nelson Mandela Bay stadiums were at risk to meet the deadlines.
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Full report on the allafrica.com site
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| Five-star hotel to meet target - 19/03/2008 |
A new five-star hotel is under construction in Port Elizabeth to help the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to meet its target of 55 000 beds for the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that it comes after accommodation was one of the concerns raised by FIFA but the municipality insists there was no need for anybody to press panic batons. Nondumiso Maphazi, the municipality’s mayor, said they were delighted that the other premium hotels were busy with renovations to increase their bed capacity.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| First pieces of 2010 arch arrive - 17/03/2008 |
When construction workers arrive for work at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, they will face eight huge pieces of steel roof arch, which they will have to assemble and paint for the 2010 World Cup facility. According to a BDC report, the first pieces, each 10m long and 5m high and weighing 40-50 tons, shipped from Hamburg, Germany, arrived at Durban harbour. Julie-May Ellingson, head of eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, said workers would inspect the pieces for damage and touch up the paintwork before assembling them.
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Full BDC report
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| R250m aviation centre for Mother City - 14/03/2008 |
Construction of a R250m world-class aviation centre, adjacent to the Cape Town International Airport (CTIA), is currently under way and expected to be completed by February 2009. This aviation centre is intended to support and service the growing number of private jets and helicopters that are frequenting CTIA. Speaking to Engineering News at the launch of the development, ExecuJet South Africa MD Ettore Poggi explained that the extensive list of recent foreign dignitaries, high-profile business people and celebrity visitors to Cape Town revealed the extent of the need for this facility. ’The imminence of the 2010 World Cup and the influx of high-net-worth individuals it represents makes the centre even more relevant;’ said Poggi.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Construction sector remains firm - 12/03/2008 |
The construction sector index has dropped only marginally from 78 to 75,7. Sibuniso Nxumalo, an equity analyst at Old Mutual Investment Group, says the index has been reacting more to general market movements rather than any news from Eskom. Yet a large section of the construction sector obtains a big chunk of its revenue from civil engineering work and they are involved in infrastructure projects such as the Gautrain rail project, 2010 World Cup developments and Eskom’s increased electricity supply plan.
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Full Business Day report
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| Ellis Park refurbishment on track – 12/03/2008 |
The refurbishment of Ellis Park Stadium is on schedule, and the inspection team is confident it will be completed in time for the 2009 Confederations Cup. An inspection of Ellis Park Stadium by a FIFA and 2010 LOC team has been described as ’successful’. Property24 reports that the tour of the Johannesburg stadium, one of the venues for the 2010 World Cup and Confederations Cup 2009 matches, took place recently. The R81m upgrade of Ellis Park Stadium, earmarked as a semi-final venue for the World Cup, began in September 2007 and is expected to be finished in July 2008.
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Full Property24 report
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| Maritzburg’s stadium debacle - 11/03/2008 |
Struggling uMgungundlovu Municipality has found itself in trouble over the delay in the refurbishment of Pietermaritzburg’s Harry Gwala Stadium for the 2010 World Cup. MEC for local government and traditional affairs, Mike Mabuyakhulu, announced that the provincial government has taken the function of upgrading the stadium away from the district municipality. The stadium is one of the stadiums in KwaZulu-Natal that has been earmarked for use as a training venue during the World Cup tournament. The Witness reports that the municipality was given a mandate to carry out the refurbishment of the stadium so that it meets the requirements laid down by FIFA. However, work on the stadium has been delayed, forcing the provincial government to take over the function. It has become clear that the municipality would never have been able to meet the 2009 deadline for the completion of the refurbishments.
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Full report in The Witness
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| Construction to resume at Free Sate stadium - 10/03/2008 |
The contractor at the Vodacom Park Stadium at Bloemfontein in the Free State has successfully interdicted workers to return to work immediately. The SABC reports that workers have been on strike since last week, demanding bonuses of R1 500 each. The stadium is being renovated to host 2010 World Cup matches. However, employees say their employers have reneged on promises of payouts in January this year. Strike action by workers, most notably at the Greenpoint and Mpumalanga stadia, has exacerbated fears that the country might not be ready to host the 2010 World Cup. However, FIFA and the 2010 LOC conducted site inspections of six of the 10 2010 stadia in late February. FIFA concluded the inspection tour with words of praise for the host cities.
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Full SABC report
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| Construction sector feels the pinch - 10/03/2008 |
SA’s once-booming construction sector has become the latest to feel the pinch of a national electricity crisis that is smothering industry and clipping much-needed economic growth. According to a report on the iafrica.com site, Eskom warned that large construction projects would have to wait up to six months for electricity licences as it tries to regulate demand. But developments that have already been approved, including projects related to South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup, would not be affected, the utility hastened to add. Construction has played a key role in SA’s hitherto strong economic growth and is the third biggest industry contributor to GDP. A report said construction was expected to contribute 2.74% to GDP by 2010, up from 0.5% in the last quarter of last year.
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Full report on the iafrica.com site
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| Chiefs stadium crisis - 07/03/2008 |
Five years after its developers announced that the construction of the Kaizer Chiefs Stadium would be complete by this year, not a brick has been laid. Construction work on the Bob van Reenen stadium precinct in Krugersdorp, earmarked by Chiefs as their home venue, was expected to begin in July 2006 and it was to be ready to use in 2008. But no work has started since Mogale City, Chiefs, Lefika and the Gauteng provincial government entered into an agreement in 2003. According to a Mail & Guardian Online report, the blame for the delay has been laid at the door of property development company Lefika Emerging Equity. The company apparently failed to raise the R1.2bn needed for the construction of the stadium. Sipho Solfafa, the 2010 World Cup project manager on the West Rand, said construction had been delayed because Lefika was experiencing financial problems.
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Full Mail & Guardian Online report
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| R142m road upgrade for Eastern Cape - 07/03/2008 |
A R142m construction project to improve the coastal route between East London and Port Elizabeth, announced recently by Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport MEC Thobile Mhlahlo, has been welcomed by local real estate players. Intended to stimulate development in the Eastern Cape, the road upgrade has as a key focal point the R72 route according to Mhlahlo, who called it ’a vital arterial to the area’ during his hand-over of the construction site to the contractors. According to a Property24 report, the venture was critical, he added, both in terms of providing access to the Eastern Cape during the 2010 World Cup and stimulating tourism between the two cities and Coega.
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Full Property24 report
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| Gautrain well on track – 06/03/2008 |
Gautrain Management Agency CE, Jack van der Merwe, says despite the current electricity crisis, the Gautrain project is on track. ’We are working at about 43 sites and there’s about 19 sub-stations that we draw power from, so if the power goes down for five hours, it’s not like we’re affected for five hours - it affects different areas differently, so the impact has not been that severe.’ SABC reports that he says they remain confident that the Gautrain link between O.R. Tambo and Sandton station will be operational during the 2010 World Cup.
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Full SABC report
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| Eskom promises not to halt projects – 05/03/2008 |
Eskom says it is not stopping any developments such as the Gautrain and 2010 World Cup. This follows media reports that all new construction projects that are bigger than a residential home will be blocked by Eskom for the next four to six months. Eskom said all developments that have already applied and have quotations will be honoured. According to a report on the News24 site, it said Gautrain and the 2010 World Cup are projects that have already been approved and will therefore not be affected.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Shortages threaten building progress - 04/03/2008 |
A shortage of steel reinforcing bars used for concrete reinforcement could seriously affect the progress of construction work at a critical time for South Africa’s infrastructural development, the South African Reinforced Concrete Engineers’ Association (Sarcea) warned. Engineering News reports that Sarcea director Rod Mountford said members of the association were reporting serious shortages of certain rebar sizes as well as their monthly orders not being supplied in full. ’The construction industry is experiencing an unprecedented demand for rebar because of the large volume of major civil engineering projects currently under way such as the 2010 WC stadiums and the Gautrain project, to name just two,’ he said.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Cement company heads for JSE - 04/03/2008 |
Sephaku Cement will list on the JSE in September this year after two road shows to raise R1.2bn towards a 2.2 million tons per annum (mtpa) cement plant. This is according to chief operating officer and financial director Morrison Smit. The cement plant will cost R3bn and begin production from June 2010, starting at about 30% of capacity and ramping up to full output over eight months, Smit told Fin24. South African cement sales in the 12 months to end-January 2008 were up nearly 6% at 15.3m tons, the Cement and Concrete Institute said in February. Egyptian cement company Orascom is reportedly going to build a cement plant near Mafikeng by late 2010.
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Full FIN24 report
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