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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
A former anti-apartheid activist and South African Human Rights Commissioner, Kadalie is currently the Director of the Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust which has just launched its 2010 Sustainability Awards. Project 2010 asked her...  Can you fill us in on the awards? Impumelelo launched the awards to coincide with its 10th anniversary celebrations. We have awarded 268 exceptional public service projects since 1999, and we view the 2010 World Cup as the perfect platform to take this further. After a decade of unearthing South African solutions to South African problems, Impumelelo is home to the definitive database of good news stories in more than just the environmental sector. These are the stories of the people, communities, and organisations that are doing extraordinary things for the betterment of South Africa. Where does the World Cup come into this? We want to build stadia without affecting the environment. When I look at the Gautrain - which has a 2010 tag - I'm shocked by how it is destroying the environment. At the end of the day, the World Cup gives us the ideal platform to tackle these and other issues like Germany (the hosts of the 2006 World Cup) did with their Green Goal initiative. Who is supporting you? We are getting corporate sponsorships - the Development Bank of South Africa, Distell, HCI and many others have recognised the importance of this. On a personal level, what does the World Cup mean for you? I am one of nine children with seven brothers and I grew up hating soccer. And I dreaded the fact that we would be hosting the World Cup. I had visions of unnecessary stadiums and of crucial money being diverted from key projects. But for the first time I have become ambivalent about my own negativity. I recently attended a 2010 Organising Committee workshop and learned about the incredible plans that are being put into place. These include the providing of green spaces, building social capital, upgrading roads, sponsorships - in short, an enormous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look at long-term infrastructure projects. You can't put a price on that. more interviews...
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