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LOC: We knew what to expect
15/03/2007 15:24 - (SA)
Johannesburg - If South Africa was not capable of hosting the 2010 World Cup it would not have approached Fifa for the rights to host the event, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said on Thursday.
LOC spokesperson Tim Modise said there were people who were sceptical about the country's capabilities, especially in the media.
"The World Cup did not occur by itself. South Africa pulled out top guns to approach Fifa," said Modise.
He said President Thabo Mbeki, former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu were amongst those who urged Fifa to grant SA the opportunity to host the tournament.
"If we asked to host the World Cup why will we sit back and not deliver on our promises?"
Modise was speaking at the South African 2010 World Cup seminar, themed "The French Experience" and organised by the economic department of the French Embassy.
He said Southern African countries should lobby the countries expected to participate in the tournament for those with which they share similar cultures and languages to be based there.
"For instance Mozambique can approach Portugal and say we speak the same language... come to our country."
Modise said SA aimed to host the best and most profitable World Cup ever.
"We will offer a platform for the rest of the continent to showcase itself."
More than four billion soccer fans are expected to watch the event on television, while three million tickets to games would be sold.
There would be fan parks not only in host cities, but all over the country where fans could watch matches on big screen televisions, said Modise.
French ambassador to SA Denis Pietton said his country was eager to share the experience it had in 1998 when it hosted the Fifa World Cup.
Best opportunity to upgrade infrastruture
"1998 was the greatest moment in France even for people who were not soccer fans," said Pietton.
He said the World Cup would offer SA the best opportunity to upgrade its infrastructure and equipment.
SA and France would develop co-operation in the energy, transportation and IT sector.
Pietton said French companies were involved in developing some of the infrastructure including the Gautrain.
Mathabatha Mokonyama, who was speaking on behalf of Transport Minister Jeff Radebe who is currently in France, said the development of transport infrastructure should look beyond 2010.
Mokonyama said the tournament's busiest days would require 60 trains, 600 buses and 10 000 minibuses.
He said the department had developed a Transport Action Plan for 2010 that was approved by the Cabinet last year.
"Our efforts were rewarded by a handsome allocation of R9m that will be spent in various host cities and state-owned entities for the preparation of the event."
He said the implementation of the plan was on track and the department would ensure that all forms of transport would be fully operational during the tournament.
Mokonyama said the Airports Company SA was on working on a plan to handle 31 million passengers a year at airports around the country, up from the current capacity of 28 million.
At OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, construction is underway to handle the new Airbus A380 and more passengers.
The seminar was attended by French business representatives, local business and representatives from the host cities who updated the delegates on their preparations.
- SAPA
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