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WORK has started in Port Elizabeth in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup to be held in South Africa.
Metro Mayor Nceba Faku said yesterday he would try to meet Premier Nosimo Balindlela soon and map the way forward.
Mr Faku said they would plan on how to ensure that specifications in the bidding book and Fifa requirements were met long before 2010. That includes the building of a R250-million, 51 000-seater stadium somewhere in the city.
Mr Faku said the metro had the national government’s word that the stadium would be built. The metro’s role was now to ensure that the stadium was sustained and that it did not turn into a white elephant after the World Cup.
It has been suggested that the stadium be built near Coega, but Mr Faku said issues like the proximity of hospitals needed to be considered before a final decision was taken about where the stadium should be allocated.
Mr Faku said he would suggest to his council that a steering committee or some kind of a structure be set up to deal with the issues pertaining to the World Cup.
The structure would have a fulltime CEO, employed probably on a five-year contract to work closely with the municipality and the provincial government.
Mr Faku also said there was a need to ensure the participation of business in the province in preparation for the World Cup.
Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said yesterday: “It’s well and good to celebrate this weekend, but we don’t have time to carry on with celebrations. Let’s roll up our sleeves and work towards hosting the World Cup.”
Metro’s sport and recreation committee chairman Charmaine Williams said: “We are now left with a nervous feeling because a lot has to be done.”
She said her committee had received four proposals about the building of the stadium and that a feasibility study would be done.
“We also have to ensure that the stadium does not become a white elephant afterwards.
“From today we have to put our heads together how we can make it happen.”
Wrenn Werth, acting CEO of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, said the winning of the bid meant a lot of development for the metro.
“The building of the stadium itself will empower the city to host many other international sporting events.
“It will go a long way in showing in South Africa and abroad that the metro can host big international events.
“It will also help us tremendously in profiling ourselves as a sport destination and there will be a lot of spin-offs. I mean economic upliftment, job creation.
“Those are things that go with hosting the World Cup.”
He said there was a need for serious evaluation of the tourism industry’s capability to host thousands of fans that would flock to Port Elizabeth for a World Cup match.
There are currently 7 000 beds in the city.
Percci president Phil Gutsche said last night that winning the bid meant the city had to prepare itself for 2010.
“It will put huge pressure on the metro councillors and mayor in order to provide the facilities to host the visitors and tourists and that’s a major challenge for the tourism industry.
“Everyone in that industry must improve the quality of their service.”
He said the processes leading to the building of a hi-tech conference centre at Pollok Beach, where Something Good is currently sited, needed to be speeded up.
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