The South African government plans
to spend 15 billion rands (C$2.2 billion) on new stadiums and
related infrastructure for the 2010 World Cup.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told parliament Wednesday that
preparations for the tournament _ the first to be held in Africa _
were one of the country's top spending priorities for the next three
years.
``The hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup provides South Africa
and the region with a one-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase
our land and our hospitality in a sporting festival that knows no
bounds,'' Manuel said while presenting his medium term budget to
2009-10.
``Hosting this event will require the effort of all South
Africans,'' Manuel told parliament, with a delegation from FIFA in
the gallery.
Hoping to ease fears by foreign tourists about the rampant rate
of violent crime and theft, Manuel promised to boost spending on the
criminal justice system and recruit an additional 10,000 police
officers by 2010 to increase their physical presence on the streets.
The government hopes the World Cup will leave a lasting legacy
for South Africa by pumping billions into the economy and create
hundreds of thousands of desperately needed new jobs, and in
particular jump start its struggling transport system.
The transport ministry has started upgrading the nation's
airports _ including construction of a new one in the coastal city
of Durban _ to cope with the anticipated 450,000 foreign tourists
expected to flood into the country.
It is spending 5 billion rands (C$745 million) to improve the
railway network and nearly 8 billion rands (C$1.2 billion) to
modernize the fleet of aging and often dangerous minibus taxis which
form the backbone of the transport system.
Manuel said of the additional 15 billion rand spending on the
World Cup, 8.4 billion rands (C$1.3 billion) was to build or upgrade
10 stadiums and the rest for infrastructure around the stadiums.
The budget announcement coincided with a two-day seminar
organized by FIFA for local organizers, business representatives and
corporate sponsors.
``This is a good day for South Africa and a good day for the 2010
World Cup,'' FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said.
Danny Jordaan, the head of the organizing committee, said the 8.4
billion rands pledged for stadiums exceeded budget estimates of 8.3
billion rands.
``All of the funding has been secured,'' Jordaan said.
Manuel's announcement on additional spending had been eagerly
awaited by cities hosting matches. Cape Town, in particular, has
been reluctant to press ahead with the new 68,000-seat stadium
before getting central government commitment on funding.
In his budget announcement, Manuel did not break down the
allocation between cities.
Johannesburg representative Sibongile Mazibuko said that cities
would start stadium construction as planned in January.
Johannesburg is set to host the opening match and the final,
while Cape Town and Durban are due to host semifinal matches. The
other venues are Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Bloemfontein,
Polokwane and Rustenberg.
Jordaan dismissed concerns that South Africa was behind schedule
and wouldn't be ready on time.
He said that South Africa, which was kicked out of FIFA in 1976
because of its apartheid policies and its separate soccer
associations for different races, had met FIFA demands for
readmission in 1992 by scrapping racial segregation laws and ending
decades of injustice.
That, he said, was a far tougher task than organizing the World
Cup.
``If we can liberate our country, why can't we build our
stadiums?'' Jordaan said.
