Journalists from Europe and North America are to be taken on tours of South Africa from next month so that they can be shown that the country will be ready to host the 2010 football World Cup and new assurances have been issued that progress is going well – but some confusion remains after South Africa’s recent political controversy.
South Africa’s parliament elected a new president, Kgalema Motlanthe, after bitter infighting in the ruling African National Congress saw the ouster of Thabo Mbeki. Some Mbeki loyalists who quit the executive in solidarity with him continue to serve on the 2010 local organising committee.
A report in South Africa’s Independent Online on October 4 said that a news conference that was scheduled for October 3 to clear up the matter was cancelled at short notice.
Those concerned are former minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, who chairs the marketing and communications committee on the LOC board; former minister of provincial and local government Sydney Mufamadi, who chairs the host cities committee; and former deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, who chairs the 2010 finance committee and is a member of the LOC's technical inspection team.
“It is understood that the LOC would wait for the cabinet to give a directive after a meeting scheduled for next week on whether the trio would be replaced,” the news report said.
Local organising committee director of communications Tim Modise said: “We don’t know if they are going to retained”.
"The key thing for us is whether we are operationally ready - which we are," said Modise.
According to the South African Government Communication and Information Service, al 10 stadiums required for the 2010 Fifa World Cup would be ready for the December 2009 final inspection date.
Confederations Cup matches will be hosted in four venues which will be completed by mid December 2008.
"We remain on course to host in 2010 the best World Cup ever -- an African World Cup," Motlanthe said at the end of September in his first address to parliament. "We fully expect to meet every commitment our nation has made to the football world."
On October 3, South African website The Times reported that Fifa was inviting the world's journalists to South Africa to show them how safe the country will be when it hosts the World Cup in 2010.
Fifa spokesperson Hans Klaus told reporters in Cape Town it will take the hacks on "Fifa-sponsored tours" of the 10 host cities from next month. "Europe and America have a perception of South Africa," he said. "And it's not the right perception. The media are also over-critical. We are sending foreign journalists to show them a beautiful country."
In a report on “Afro-pessimism” producing negative views about preparations for the event, the Johannesburg-based Mail and Guardian noted that Pahad, one of the former ministers whose future role with the local organising committee was uncertain, had caused controversy by saying whites would like to see South Africa's attempts to host the event fail.
However, a study suggests that Pahad's opinion is not necessarily true, the Mail and Guardian said. The Human Science Research Council latest survey reveals that white South Africans are worried about the success of the 2010 World Cup, but they are nevertheless passionate about it.
“Despite white respondents expressing more concern than other races about whether the country will be ready to host the tournament, 'this by no means implies that they care less about hosting the mega-event' added the study.”
Meanwhile, the Indian Ocean city of Durban is gearing up its information and communication technology.
City manager Michael Sutcliffe, speaking on October 2, said: “Looking forward to the 2010 World Cup, a key aspect of our success will depend on an ICT system that really works… All major buildings in the city will be wireless hotspots and we will find ways of making connectivity very affordable, or even free of charge."
Sutcliffe said he had every confidence Durban would be ready and waiting for the expected influx of up to 300 000 visitors during the World Cup.
"We are bang on track, and I have no doubt this will be the greatest World Cup ever," Sutcliffe said, as quoted by Independent Online.
