PROJECT 2010 - Preparing South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

Project 2010 - A Twenty Ten Media and Marketing Initiative

PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD

Politics

State addresses stadium sustainability – 15/10/2010

The department of sport and recreation is reviewing the future sustainability of stadiums that were built for the 2010 World Cup, and together with the Development Bank of Southern Africa is consolidating and reviewing the future plans of the host cities. In a written reply to the ANC chair of the sport and recreation committee, Butana Komphela, Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said the review was imperative since the plans were drawn up before the development of stadium designs and there have been changes that could have positive or adverse effects on them.

Full Fin24.com report Fin24

Land Reform: ’Give Jordaan the job’

Ask Danny Jordaan, who organised a successful 2010 World Cup, to help get the country’s failed land reform programme up and running again. This suggestion came from Fanie van Zyl, an experienced farmer from Makwassie in the North-West and a well-known figure in the agriculture industry, at Agri SA’s council in Muldersdrift, notes a report on the News24 site. Just after a speech by Gugile Nkwinti, minister of rural development and land affairs, Van Zyl stood up and said he had something to say.

Full report on the News24 site

FIFA issues world ban – 05/10/2010issues

FIFA has suspended Nigeria from international competition because of government interference in the sport. The decision was taken after several members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were hauled before the law courts. FIFA rules prohibit any government intervention with its members. Nigeria’s ban from international football leaves their weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea in Conakry in doubt.

Full BBC News report

Prove the world wrong, says Zuma – 04/10/2010

Wishing India ’good luck’ for the Commonwealth Games, South African President Jacob Zuma has urged the country to ’prove the world wrong like we did with our FIFA World Cup 2010’. ’I wish India good luck. Prove the world wrong as we did with our FIFA World Cup 2010 who doubted our abilities in hosting an event as big as that and we successfully hosted it proving all wrong and I am sure India too will do it,’ Zuma said.

Full Sify.com report

SA should draw on WC lessons – Zuma – 27/09/2010

President Jacob Zuma said that South Africans should draw a lesson from the World Cup with regards to national unity. ’We need to draw some lessons from the World Cup experience,’ said Zuma is his address to thousands at a Heritage Day event at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. According to a Mail &Guardian report, he said the unity and cohesion among communities during the tournament should be seen as a source of strength that could lead to greater achievements.

Full Mail & Guardian report

Tourists Tourists hugely impressed with SA – 20/09/2010

Restoring SA Tourism’s budget necessary for SA to build on World Cup success and country’s immense tourism potential. The Democratic Alliance has published its own research on tourist perceptions during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, notes a Politics Web report. This research indicates that impressions gained by the estimated 383 000 World Cup tourists who visited our shores are better even that what has been reported in the past. International perceptions of our country sometimes indicate a relatively dangerous and costly long-haul destination with poor service levels and limited tourism experiences.

Full Politics Web report

WC buoyed us, says Motlanthe – 16/09/2010

The 2010 World Cup inspired a positive shift in global perception towards South Africa and the African continent in general, said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. South Africa’s work with the domestic and international private sector had repositioned the country as one that was developing rapidly, Motlanthe said at a media briefing on Wednesday as part of a two-day visit to the United Kingdom.

Full report on the IoL site

Public Works went on WC splurge, too – 16/09/2010

It emerged in Parliament yesterday that the Department of Public Works spent R400 000 on Bafana Bafana shirts, vuvuzelas, flags and the rental of plasma television screens during the World Cup. The department justified the expenditure, saying its officials and managers regularly deal with clients and that it was necessary to show their support of the national soccer team in this way. All the purchases were approved by either the accounting officer or the relevant executive committees.

Full report in Die Burgerreport

Government urged to move quickly – 10/09/2010

The government needs to move quickly if it is to capitalise on gains in the transport sector made during the 2010 World Cup, according to a survey released recently. ’Our analysis indicates that currently there’s an opportunity to capitalise on these positive experiences and the potential change in the public’s mindset with regard to public transport,’ said Deloitte director of transport services Dee Botha. According to the survey of 1 477 people, most of the middle to upper income earners polled said they used private vehicles to attend matches, notes a report on the News24 site.

Full report on the News24 site

WC boosts government, tourism relations – 08/09/2010

Government and the tourism industry will continue to strengthen their relationship following South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup, said Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk. ’The World Cup opened up a new window of opportunity for the tourism industry. It is up to all of us to make use of this opportunity’ van Schalkwyk said after meeting with several stakeholders in Johannesburg to analyse the impact of the tournament. The World Cup is said to have injected more than R39 billion to South Africa’s economy contributing 0.1 percent to the country’s GDP.

Full press release

Motlanthe expresses concern – 22/08/2010

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has urged local and provincial leaders to use the expertise gained during the 2010 World Cup to fast-track service delivery to communities. According to a report on the News24 site, Motlanthe concluded a two-day visit to the Bitou municipality in the Western Cape. He was accompanied by, amongst others, Western Cape premier, Helen Zille. The deputy president said he was concerned about the lack of co-ordination in service delivery.

Full report on the News24 site

Motlanthe expresses concern – 22/08/2010

Full report on the News24 site

Politicians praise SA’s WC success – 19/08/2010

Political parties across the spectrum have echoed President Jacob Zuma’s praise for South Africans, attributing the success of the 2010 World Cup to their patriotic spirit and passion. During a joint sitting of Parliament to debate the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup, the people of South Africa emerged as the true stars of the tournament and were lauded for their contribution by the President and political parties. DA leader and Premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille said the single greatest achievement of the World Cup was the way it had changed stereotypes.

Full press release

South Africans stars of WC – 18/08/2010

South Africans, black and white, are the true stars of the 2010 World Cup, said President Jacob Zuma. ’The proud display of our rainbow nation flags did not only demonstrate that we have the brightest and most beautiful flag in the world, but it also demonstrated amazing patriotism,’ he told a joint sitting of Parliament’s two Houses during a special debate. According to a report on the News24 site, the World Cup tournament revealed that South Africans were capable of working together in unity. They also proved that they were proud to be South Africans.

Full report on the news 24 site

R200 000 spent on WC paraphernalia, says Zille – 16/08/2010

The provincial government of the Western Cape spent about R200 000 on World Cup paraphernalia, Premier Helen Zille has revealed. The Cape Argus reports that the amount is a drop in the ocean compared to national government departments and state-owned entities, which the DA claimed spent R145-million on tickets for the World Cup and other sports events. In a written reply to a parliamentary question, Zille said four provincial government departments spent R196 980 on World Cup paraphernalia.

Full Cape Argus report

North West sports MEC fired – 16/08/2010

The North West sports and recreation MEC Grace Bothman has been fired, premier Maureen Modiselle said. Modiselle said Bothman was fired with immediate effect, for defiance and showing disrespect and disdain to the highest office in the province. According to a report on the IoL site, she said Bothman demonstrated a behaviour which could be ’very detrimental and catastrophic’ to service delivery if it was embedded in the highest offices of government. Provincial secretary Solly Phetoe. said it was clear that Bothman was removed from the executive council after she called on the acting head of the department to investigate alleged corrupt activities during the 2010 World Cup.

Full report on the IoL site

Zuma steers clear of football politics - 14/08/2010

President Jacob Zuma has told warring soccer authorities to settle their differences without government interference. SAFA and the PSL were recently summoned to Mahlamba Ndlopfu where Zuma warned them that seeking his intervention puts South Africa at risk of being banned by FIFA, who take a dim view of government interference in sovereign football matters. This was after Irvin Khoza had approached Zuma to express the PSL’s concerns about SAFA’s decision to amend their constitution.

Full report in The Times

Police minister’s tender woes – 09/08/2010

A fight over resources between comrades has thrust Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula into the centre of a multi-million-rand 2010 World Cup tender war. At the centre of the row is the cancellation of the contract for Nationwide Security, a company that was contracted to secure the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium during the World Cup. The Sunday Independent reports that the cancellation came after initial accusations that Mbalula might have had financial interests in it because of the involvement of his ANC office manager. Nationwide says they were never given reasons for the cancellation - although they ended up settling out of court with the LOC.

Full report in The Sunday Independent

Zuma orders probe into corrupt deals – 02/08/2010orders

President Jacob Zuma has ordered corruption buster Willie Hofmeyr’s special investigating unit to go after millions stolen from the poor by crooked officials and service providers. The Times notes that the money was to have been spent by minister Lulu Xingwana’s department of arts and culture mainly to help poor communities benefit from the 2010 World Cup. Xingwana named seven officials in her national department who had been dismissed after disciplinary hearings and said eight provincial officials had also been sacked.

Full report in The Times

Khoza gets ready for battle - 30/07/2010

The PSL top brass led by chairman Irvin Khoza is set to meet President Jacob Zuma in an attempt to garner support when they tackle SAFA. Sport24 reports that soccer-Laduma has been closely following the saga of Khoza’s battle with SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani. The two have been at loggerheads since Nematandani’s appointment as president late last year and Khoza does not seem to be giving up the fight to overthrow him.

Full Sport24 report

Government to review WC - 30/07/2010

Government is currently conducting a detailed assessment of the 2010 World Cup which should be completed by the end of September, President Jacob Zuma says. According to a report on the iafrica.com site, Zuma told a dinner hosted by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Constructors at Ellis Park that ’from this review will emerge the lessons that will make us implement our new way of doing things even better in government.’ He said the most visible product of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup is the new infrastructure - roads, stadiums, airports, refurbished hotels and other buildings.

Full report on the iafrica.com site

WC provided Aids lessons, says Motlanthe - 19/07/2010

The FIFA World Cup provided lessons on how to deal with the HIV/Aids pandemic, said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said in Vienna. ’I want to believe this sporting tournament has provided all of us with lessons we can apply in our collective approach to deal with the HIV and Aids pandemic,’ he said at the 18th International Aids conference. ’One of those lessons is the importance of teamwork even in the battle against HIV and Aids.’ According to a report on the News24 site, Motlanthe said the World Cup had emphasised the importance of inter-dependence and co-operation.

Full report on the News24 site

Top brass faces grilling over R1bn -19/07/2010

Parliament is set to grill SAFA’s top brass on how the body plans to spend its R1 billion windfall from FIFA, especially in developing the game in the country. The Pretoria News reports that ANC MP and chairman of the National Assembly’s sport and recreation committee, Butana Komphela, confirmed they would be meeting football bosses to question them about plans for soccer development, for which some of the millions are earmarked. FIFA gave the local soccer body the money after the country successfully hosted the World Cup.

Full Pretoria News report

I never doubted SA, says Obama – 15/07/2010doubted

US President Barack Obama says he never doubted that South Africa would be able to host a successful 2010 World Cup. Sport24 reports that Obama said that South Africa was not only a ’national but a world treasure’. The American president said when he visited South Africa before taking office, he had realised that there was an ’extraordinary energy’ among South Africans. After he got to know President Jacob Zuma and understood more of the pride with which Zuma spoke about South Africa, he was convinced that the World Cup would be a success.

Full Sport24 report

WC could spell trouble for Zuma - 14/07/2010

South Africa’s success in hosting the 2010 World Cup has made life more difficult for President Jacob Zuma by raising expectations his government can meet a series of unfulfilled promises in the same bold fashion. According to a repot on the IoL site, after his government has shown it can deliver all that was needed to host the month-long sporting event, the public now wants Zuma to show the same resolve in dealing with the problems that have lingered since the end of apartheid 16 years ago - unemployment, poverty and a woeful education system.

Full report on the IoL site

We need prayer and parties, says Zuma - 14/07/2010need

National prayer and a party would keep the World Cup spirit alive in South Africa, said President Jacob Zuma. ’We must maintain this spirit. It’s not something you can buy,’ Zuma said. ’Government is working on a prayer on how to sustain this. I think it is important as a nation that we have a national prayer to thank God for helping us with this success.’ According to a report on the IoL site, Zuma said the 2010 World Cup had proved that the country was prepared to host major international events.

Full report on the IoL site

US congratulates SA for WC - 13/07/2010

The US government praised South Africa for hosting an ’excellent’ Soccer World Cup and congratulated Spain for capturing the trophy with a 1-0 finals victory over Netherlands, notes a Sport24 report. ’We congratulate and thank the people of South Africa for hosting an excellent month of soccer, ’State Department spokeman PJ Crowley said. ’It was the first time an African nation hosted the World Cup, and South Africa proved its ability to do so quite nobly.’

Full Sport24 report

Blatter vindicated - Zuma - 12/07/2010

President Jacob Zuma on Monday said FIFA president Sepp Blatter had been vindicated because of his strong belief in South Africa’s ability to host the World Cup. ’Our hosting of this historic FIFA World Cup on African soil vindicates Mr Blatter’s strong conviction that we were capable of delivering a spectacular and successful event,’ he told journalists at a post World Cup briefing in Sandton, Johannesburg. Zuma said it was an ’emotional moment’ for the country, but it had shown the world it had what it took to compete with the best.

Full Sport24 report

Finance minister to weigh in on ticket saga - 07/07/2010

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will soon meet with the Auditor-General and the chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to discuss the issue of 2010 World Cup ticket purchases by government departments, public enterprises, and municipalities, the National Treasury said. ’While there may be legitimate reasons for buying tickets to advance the business case of public enterprises and government departments, concern has been raised as to what action may be taken should the Auditor-General deem this expenditure wasteful or fruitless’.

Full FIN24 report

Zuma thanks SA - 07/07/2010

President Jacob Zuma thanked South Africans for warmly welcoming visitors during the World Cup and he described the tournament as incident free, notes a SPort24 report. ’Our visitors have been welcomed warmly and the stadiums have been filled to capacity. Government would like to thank South Africans for handling visitors well,’ Zuma said in Durban.

Full report on the Sport 24 site