Johannesburg - Preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa were slow and questions remain whether the country will be ready in time, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said on Saturday.
Leon said Parliament was moving slow in "passing legislation that will enable South Africa to conform with Fifa's requirements". He said the country was also "lagging behind" in building new stadiums.
He said while Fifa had recognised a potential in South Africa, the country needed to be honest about the challenges it faced.
"We should remind ourselves that neither blind optimism nor obstructive negativity will assist the organising committee in its efforts," he said.
According to Leon, although South Africans were passionate about football, that alone was not enough to ensure success of the World Cup in 2010.
"We need to make sure that the transport and telecommunication infrastructure is in place, that the stadiums are built on time and that the legions of travelling fans feel secure in our country," he said.
He also said if South Africa could emulate Germany's success, "we will be a very proud nation indeed".
