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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
As the leader of the official opposition Democratic Alliance and the mayor of 2010 host city Cape Town, Helen Zille works tirelessly to fulfill her mandate. Her parents fled from Nazi Germany to South Africa. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Zille began her career as a political journalist for the Rand Daily Mail, where she famously exposed the truth behind Steve Biko's death. She was voted Newsmaker of the year in 2006 by the National Press Club. The fiery politician has played an important role in overseeing 2010 World Cup preparations. Project 2010 asked her…  The recent outbreak of xenophobic violence has cast a shadow over South Africa's 2010 World Cup preparations. FIFA has expressed its concern about the situation, but says it is confident that the situation will stabilise ahead of the tournament. How serious do you view this problem and do you think it has undone much of the World Cup progress that has been achieved so far? The xenophobic violence has had no impact on South Africa's preparations for the World Cup in terms of infrastructure, transport systems, planning and organisation. In addition, the incidents of violence have not occurred near any of the central business and tourism areas where visitors would be staying. The violence has had an impact on our international image as a democracy. Fortunately, the generosity and dedication of volunteers and the public in general has helped to reduce the negative perceptions. Do you think the international community has confidence in this country's ability to host an event of this magnitude? Many in the international community seem to be very confident in South Africa, including FIFA. There will also be sceptics, as there are among South Africans as well. It's common knowledge that there were enormous problems before the 2010 World Cup stadium in Greenpoint was given the go-ahead. Are you satisfied with the way the 2010 Local Organising Committee, national government, the provincial government and the city are working and co-ordinating their efforts to complete various World Cup projects? Yes. The complications before construction of the stadium in Greenpoint started mostly related to the urgency of finalising the plans and the correct site, and ensuring that a proper financial model was in place. There was also the legal challenge that was mounted against the stadium by a small group of residents opposed to the development. However, now that the project is underway, there has been good co-ordination. How important do you think this event is for South Africa....do you think too much emphasis has been placed on it, particularly with regards to all the other issues and problems South Africa faces? This event is very important for South Africa's international standing. Perception plays a key role in where investors choose to invest, and where skilled professionals choose to live. Our number one goal in Cape Town is to attract more skills and investment to Cape Town, so that we can see faster economic growth and job creation. It is also an excellent deadline for government infrastructure projects - preparations for 2010 will have to get done on time. It is do or die. At the same time, there is the risk that some people will expect 2010 to solve more problems than it can. more interviews...
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