Green Point back on track

2006-03-30 21:00

Cape Town - Planning for Cape Town's proposed Green Point stadium, earmarked as venue for a 2010 Soccer World Cup semi-final, appears to be back on track following a meeting between city mayor Helen Zille and Fifa local organising committee (LOC) members on Thursday.

"I think the mayor is comfortable right now that the city will not be bankrupt," LOC chairperson Irvin Khoza said afterwards.

Reading a prepared statement, he said those at the two and a half hour meeting had agreed that preparation and planning of infrastructure delivery would continue.

"The parties are agreed that... all spheres of government [are] committed to work together to deliver a world class event in Cape Town," he said.

Zille earlier this week imposed a moratorium on the appointment of consultants for the stadium - earmarked as venue for a cup semi-final - saying the city did not have adequate information on how much the project would cost and how it would be paid for.

Her spokesperson, Robert Macdonald, said on Thursday night: "The mayor stands behind what Mr Khoza said. We will proceed with the plans as set out."

Would meet soon

Also at Thursday's meeting, held in a city hotel, were Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool, who had criticised Zille's decision as being "irresponsible in the extreme", and Minister of Sport Makhenkesi Stofile and deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, who are both LOC members.

Khoza said it had been decided that representatives of all three tiers of government would meet as soon as possible to discuss issues around 2010 financing.

The purpose of the meeting, which would be hosted by Stofile, would be to "further clarify" issues raised by Zille.

"We did not satisfy her completely," he said. "It was a question of lack of information, which I think in terms of what we have reported to her gives her a sense things are moving in the right direction. But still there are still open questions that need to be resolved."

Asked about Zille's concern that the city might be expected to contribute R1bn - the equivalent of an entire year's capital budget - to the stadium project, Khoza said: "She has understood that that is not the case."

Towards the end of the briefing, he said: "She did indicate that in whatever I'm saying that I must not leave out the words that she wants that the financial model must be thoroughly explained. So I'm making sure that I don't misrepresent her...

Hold a workshop

"We have made an attempt to explain it. Until that point, she's comfortable, but, you know, there are details that still have to be provided."

He said that in addition to the Stofile meeting, the LOC would invite all premiers and host city mayors to a workshop "because we've realised that there was a slow flow of information from various departments".

This was all the more important for new mayors who had inherited contracts and agreements signed by the LOC, Fifa and the government.

Khoza said more information on financial modelling would come through the planning phase of the World Cup exercise, for which government had already put aside R200m.

The LOC board would meet at Tuynhuys on Friday to allocate this money to the nine host cities.

"The financial modelling, it will give comfort to the cities that they won't inherit any huge financial responsibility that will affect the running of the cities," he said.

- SAPA