The green pitch at Port Elizabeth’s 2010 World Cup stadium has become an island in a sea of brown, exempt from water limits imposed due to a drought that has scorched the land outside. Sports24 reports that five people work day and night to maintain the grass inside the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, designed to resemble a flower that now appears to blossom from the baked earth. ’To reduce our water consumption, we water in the morning at two o’clock. It’s more economical,’ said Rob Hitchens, manager at the 46 000-seat stadium that will host eight World Cup matches.
Danny Jordaan, the 2010 World Cup supremo, said the future use of two stadiums built specially for the tournament hinged on their also becoming rugby union grounds. ’We need to make the stadiums viable... The central issue is whether rugby will move to the new stadiums. I think they will. Their stadiums were built in the 1950s,’ said Jordaan. According to a report on the IoL site, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, which has been built at a cost of R3.1bn is right next door to the Kings Park home of the Sharks Super 14 rugby union team. But the Sharks are so far showing no inclination to move, sparking fears the Mabhida Stadium may be unviable economically once the World Cup is over, leaving the city with an expensive white elephant.
Johannesburg officials said that the venue for the 2010 World Cup final had cost nearly a third more than estimated because of the rising price of building materials. Johannesburg city councilman Parks Tau said Soccer City, the largest stadium built for a football World Cup with a capacity of 90 000, had gone R1 billion over budget to cost R3.2bn. According to a report on the IOL site, the venue, which will host the opening and closing matches of the June 11-July 11 tournament, was handed over to the city by the Aveng construction group with 99 days to go before it kicks off.
Soccer City, built to resemble a calabash, in Johannesburg was officially handed over to the City of Johannesburg. Sports24 reports that the completed stadium which was handed to City of Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo is the largest in Africa, said infrastructure organisation, the Aveng Group and its subsidiary Grinaker-LTA. ’Like an African calabash that securely stores food and drink, this calabash-inspired stadium will securely hold almost 90 000 fans who will witness the opening game of the 2010 World Cup,’ said Aveng Group chief executive, Roger Jardine.
’Brazil concerned about competing SA’ 03/03/2010
Joao Raposo, a Brazilian journalist, is so impressed with South Africa’s stadiums he’s concerned his home country won’t match up when it hosts the 2014 World Cup. ’In Brazil we’re concerned about the stadiums we will have,’ Raposo said during a recent interview at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg. ’I think it will be difficult to compete with the stadiums that Africa has built.’ Bizcommunity.com reports that Raposo is one of 120 international and local journalists currently touring South Africa’s 10 host stadiums on a trip initiated by FIFA and the LOC.
Nelson Mandela Bay’s 2010 World Cup stadium received a perfect score from FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke. The Herald reports that Valcke said of all the stadiums visited so far including Cape Town’s Greenpoint Stadium and Johannesburg’s Soccer City, the Port Elizabeth stadium was the one venue that stood out in terms of readiness.
In times of crisis there is opportunity, its is often said and BP is already cashing in on Eskom’s power crisis. The Times reports that it has donated diesel to run generators in all official stadiums for the duration of the 2010 World Cup. According to a statement from the petroleum company, all power used by broadcasters during the month-long event will also come from these generators. ’In a move to safeguard stadiums from any unplanned outages during the 2010 World Cup matches, and to ensure that both those who have paid for tickets and those watching on TV don’t miss a minute of the action, all stadiums will run off BP Ultimate diesel-powered generators for the duration of each game.’
The old South African flag has been banned from Cape Town’s 2010 soccer stadium, along with items such as tear gas and pointy umbrellas, notes a report on the IoL site. The flag is on a list of forbidden items displayed at entrances to the 68 000-seater showpiece, which recently hosted a whistlestop visit from a group of invited local and international media. It is listed just above ’banners or flags with content that can reasonably be considered to be sexist, racist, vulgar, discriminatory, inflammatory or offensive’. Also banned are fireams, ammunition, knives, and any sharp or pointed metal object which could be reasonably considered a dangerous weapon.
Inspectors happy with stadia progress 01/03/2010
FIFA and South African football authorities spent the weekend, along with a strong media contingent, touring some of the stadiums to be used for the 2010 World Cup, and declared themselves satisfied, notes a People’s Daily Online report. After inspecting the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg, North West Province, and the Peter Mokaba stadium near Polokwane in Limpopo province, delegates said that they believed the venues were world-class and South Africa was ready to host the 2010 World Cup.
Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium, venue for the opening and closing games of the 2010 World Cup, was declared ready by the sport’s international governing body. FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke described the pitch as ’immaculate’ and added that it was time that people stop doubting the ability of South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup, notes a China.org report. ’As everyone can see the stadium is complete and I have no doubt every team that plays in this venue will find it awesome.’
Daikin Air Conditioners for 2010 stadia 25/02/2010
Daikin Air Conditioning received orders for and has delivered a total of 170 water-cooled VRV air conditioners to the new Green Point Stadium, and the newly-constructed Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (Port Elizabeth). Both stadiums will play host to the 2010 World Cup, notes a CBN report. The Green Point Stadium is the first intelligent stadium in South Africa and, as the name suggests, was built to be environmentally conscious.
PE faces water ’crisis’ ahead of WC kick-off 21/02/2010
The shortage of clean drinking water in Nelson Mandela Bay is threatening to adversely affect the 2010 World Cup in the region. Sunday World reports that the Nelson Mandela metropolitan municipality has admitted it could run out of water before the 2010 World Cup, saying it is preparing a ’crisis plan’ to address the problem. The plan is to be finalised in March, when details will be revealed. This admission comes as the critical water shortage worsens by the day, with the municipality being blamed for failing to implement restrictions agreed on seven months ago.
With just over 100 days left before the start of the 2010 World Cup, the 10 host stadiums are gearing up for the global event, notes a report on the iafrica.com site. LOC CE Danny Jordaan, says there was never any doubt that the stadiums would be ready. ’We always knew that our stadiums would be ready and not only that, we knew that they would be among the best the world has seen’, said Jordaan. ’Soccer City is a marvel of design and construction and everyone who has visited this stadium has said it is among the best in the World,’ he added.
A total of 15 stadiums, including one private college, have been confirmed as official training venues for the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that this was after the facilities, which have all been refurbished to meet FIFA requirements, were inspected by representatives of the LOC. Joburg tops the list with four facilities. The venues are: Dobsonville Stadium, Rand Stadium, the University of Johannesburg Stadium and St Stithians College in Sandton.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is set to host a soccer treat when Soweto giants Orlando Pirates clash with Botswana’s Gaborone United in a Confederation of African Football Champions League encounter on Sunday, February 28.The Buccaneers agreed to meet Gaborone after being approached by the host city to play at the 40000-seater stadium, notes a Sunday World report. The match is being played as part of the venue readiness test in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup.
KwaZulu-Natal has unveiled another multi-million rand stadium to show its readiness for the 2010 World Cup, notes a report in The Sowetan. It was the Harry Gwala Stadium in the capital city Pietermaritzburg. The newly built state-of-the- art facility has been constructed to the tune of R85 million from the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, with contributions from the Umgungundlovu district and Umsunduzi local municipalities.
Beautiful stadium ... pity about the traffic - 08/02/2010
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.
Gearing up for the 2010 World Cup, KwaMsame now has its own 1 000-seater stadium. The stadium is complete with an open air big-screen for watching the World Cup games. According to a Zululand Observer report, the bright and shiny new stadium reportedly cost about R14 million to erect and also boasts pavilion seating, a VIP area and underground change rooms.
South Africa would host a memorable, incident free 2010 World Cup with all major infrastructure for the event having been completed on time, Said Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile. Speaking following the monthly meeting of the 2010 Interministerial Committee (IMC) Stofile told journalists that all the stadiums for the event had been completed and that it was ’all systems go’. With only a few months to go until the start of the international sporting event on June 11, the Minister said that the power generators to be installed at each stadium, as part of FIFA’s demand for independent back-up power supply at the facilities, had been procured.
Another WC venue gets the green light 01/02/2010
After passing its second and final readiness test, the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex is now ready to host international matches and a capacity crowd after two major events where staged here without tribulations. The Sowetan reports that Ndavhe Ramakuela, director of 2010 Polokwane, said they were satisfied with the stadium and that the facility was now ready for a 45 000 full capacity crowd. ’We used these two events to test the stadium’s readiness for major games and it passed the test nicely. We have also ensured that all safety and security measures are in place,’ said Ramakuela.
SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani has congratulated Polokwane and Cape Town for delivering on their promise of building world-class stadiums for the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that his comments came after successful matches were staged at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex and Cape Town Stadium, marking the official opening of the venues. ’The fact that the two facilities passed the first readiness test without problems is a sign that all our facilities will be ready for use. With the exception of Soccer City and Mbombela Stadium, we have tested all the facilities . The technical committee of the LOC is working with municipalities to improve on the challenges raised during the games,’ said Nematandani.
Test-drive of new stadium gets thumbs up 23/01/2010
The old Peter Mokaba stadium has just one grandstand and a cabbage patch for a field. So when it was decided to hold World Cup matches in Polokwane, there were two options - renovate the old Limpopo venue or build a new arena from scratch. It was decided to go for a new venue which was spot on. It still needs some touch-ups, but nothing major. If there is any criticism it is that not all areas have yet been painted. The purpose of Saturday’s inaugural four-club tournament - featuring Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and Denmark’s Brondby - was to test the readiness of the Peter Mokaba stadium regarding security, transport to and from the venue, and the condition of the field.
Standing on the parapet looking south, the remnants of the old Green Point Stadium are still clearly visible. Whether they have been left standing so that visitors to the new Cape Town Stadium can admire the difference between past and future is unclear, but certainly the contrast is stark. Few of the 20 000 visitors yesterday would have noticed the dilapidated stand that used to form part of the old stadium, because hovering over it like an enormous spacecraft is Cape Town’s World Cup venue. A first look inside the R4.5-billion structure did not disappoint. Dubbed ’the diva of Cape Town’ by architects for its supposed ability to reflect the changing moods of the city in varying weather conditions, the design is as functional as it is easy on the eye.
Two more of South Africa’s 2010 World Cup stadiums will open to the public this weekend, with matches planned in Cape Town and Polokwane. The Witness reports that the opening of the 70 000-seater Cape Town Stadium and 45 000-seater Peter Mokaba Stadium means that just two more venues have to be completed for pre-tournament testing before the World Cup. These are Johannesburg’s Soccer City, which will host the tournament’s opening match on June 11 and the final a month later, and Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium. Officials are hoping Soccer City will open its doors next month. There are plans to switch the traditional Soweto Derby to the venue on February 20.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban will feature another attraction - in addition to the arch and funicular - when a bungee swing is unveiled at the facility soon. According to a report on the IoL site, the swing will be suspended from the top of the arch and people will be able to swing from the fourth level on one side of the stadium across to the other. The city’s municipal manager, Michael Sutcliffe, said the swing was currently being tested and would ’open for business’ within a week. ’The municipality hasn’t paid a cent for the bungee swing, but it is another magnificent attraction for the stadium. We will get a portion of the income, as per our agreement with the operator,’ he said.
SAs 10 stadiums are ready to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup now the fans need to come to the party, say the organisers. And no expense is being spared to make sure that Africas first World Cup will be a success. The national government will have contributed R11,7bn to the construction of five new stadiums, and the upgrade of five existing stadiums, says Treasury spokeswoman Thoraya Pandy.
The previous finance minister, Trevor Manuel , said in 2007 that R8,4bn had been set aside for stadiums.
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is again set for another sporting extravaganza with two major events scheduled to take place at the newly built 2010 World Cup stadium. Two teams are lined up to kickstart the new year in what sporting fans say will be a bonanza. The venue has already received its fair share of success in hosting both national and international sporting events. Bay United, which is currently plying its trade in the lower National First Division, will clash with South Korea on Thursday morning.
The pitch at the 46 000-seater Mbombela Stadium is being replaced after contractors stripped the original and dug up the clay surface underneath to allow proper drainage. The changes were ordered after an inspection by Fifa in November. This was after a rainy spell had left the new ground waterlogged. The installation of a new pitch would be completed this week, said the city’s World Cup co-ordinator, Differ Mogale. Plans to open the stadium with a friendly between Ghana and Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 3 would go ahead, Mogale added.
Now that the new Green Point stadium is all-but complete and lit up with a magical soft glow at night almost all the criticism and the dread that it would downgrade the precinct have melted away. So says Lanice Steward, MD of Anne Porter Knight Frank (APKF), who adds that it is ’impossible not to be impressed’. ’When the lights come on after dark, one has the impression that a benign spaceship has landed here. It is just far enough away not to impinge on the attractive cosmopolitan cafι district on Somerset Road (which has proliferated over the last year), but close enough to give a feeling that something very exciting, very modern and almost beyond our understanding has happened here.’
The theft of key aluminium fittings at the Cape Town Stadium resulted in the structure being damaged by the strong winds that battered Cape Town at the weekend. The Cape Argus reports that the stadium, which was handed over to the City of Cape Town late last week, is all but complete - pending attendance to the new owners’ ’snag list’, which will be dealt with by the contractors. The damage happened at the weekend, when winds of up to 170km/h lashed the city - and the City Bowl and Foreshore in particular. The city’s 2010 spokesman, Pieter Cronje, said special ’reinforced curtains’ - woven mesh made of fibreglass with strengthening Teflon coatings - had been torn in the high wind. These sheets are wrapped around the steel frames on the outside of the stadium, letting natural light through.
