In South Africa, the Cup is no game
The country took suggestions that it was behind on World Cup preparations for 2010 as a national insult, saying that such claims undermined its interests.
from the May 15, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
"Once again our media have ignored facts to cast doubt where others have shown confidence in us as a country," said Themba Maseko, a government spokesman, at a press conference in the capital city of Tshwane (formerly called Pretoria) last week.
"Some of the reports indicate a failure or an inability to interrogate and check the facts before rushing to print sensationalist headlines, thereby, behaving in a manner that potentially undermined the interests of all South Africans who could be served by hosting a successful World Cup tournament," he said.
South Africa clearly has its work cut out for it. Originally planning to use its network of massive rugby stadiums to host the 2010 World Cup, the South African government changed its mind to build five new stadiums and billions of dollars of infrastructure projects around the country, leaving a legacy of post-apartheid renewal.
Some $2.1 billion will be spent on infrastructure by the time the World Cup matches begin in mid-2010, more than half of that on the refurbishment of existing stadiums and the construction of five new stadiums.
The race to build by 2010
Some of these venues, such as the Green Point stadium in Cape Town and a stadium in the northern city of Polokwane, have just begun construction in the past month.
Last year, deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi announced that it was necessary for work on the five new stadiums to commence in January, in order to be finished in time for the 2010 World Cup. Beyond stadiums, South Africa will also rebuild and widen roads, build new airport terminals, light-rail transport systems, telecommunications facilities, and the like.
While the government insists that the new Gautrain rail-link between the Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and the suburbs of Johannesburg will be operational by 2010, the links to the Loftus stadium in Tshwane will not be completed until the middle of 2011.
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