Question 3
Mr B M Komphela (ANC) to ask the Deputy President:
1) What progress has been made in meeting the government's obligations with regard to the government guarantees given to FIFA to host the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament?
2) Whether the government has put a monitoring mechanism in place to ensure that government procurement policies are adhered to in all processes related to the FIFA 2010 World Cup Tournament; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. Honourable Member, I am pleased to report that our march towards the successful fulfilment of our seventeen (17) guarantees for the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup continues to gain momentum. Many projects emanating from these 17 guarantees have been put to test during the recent FIFA Confederations Cup. As we are all aware, this "test tournament" was delivered with great success.
Starting from the first guarantee (that is the issuing of entry and the exit permits) to the last guarantee (that is availability of comprehensive medical services), government and the Local Organising Committee have been working together for the successful implementation of these. Among the achievements I can cite include:
(a) the Department of Home Affairs launching and implementing an Event Specific Visa in November 2008;
(b) the finalisation and implementation of the Security Plan;
(c) the delivery of elements of the Information and Telecommunications Technology infrastructure which was successfully tested during the Confederations Cup;
(d) the development and testing of transport operational plans;
(e) a steady growth in the number of accommodation establishments signed up and;
(f) the testing of social cohesion initiatives as widely acknowledged during the Confederations Cup.
Although the mile ahead is steep, I have no doubt that Members present in this House today would agree with me that even on the side of the national team, we are making progress. Their performance is not part of the 17 guarantees, but is part of the social compact we have with society!
We are quite aware, as has been made public before, that there are areas that require improvement. Through the 2010 Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that I chair, we are helping the Departments to overcome these challenges especially in the areas of transport and accommodation. The IMC will soon audit the 2010 dividend for our country – in particular small and medium sized enterprises.
2. Honourable Members, it is true that as part of our agreements with FIFA, procurement of goods and services for the 2010 World Cup has to comply with policies and procedures applied in the public sector. This applies not only to government departments and Host Cities, but to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) as well.
This means where public funds are involved, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and the Municipality Finance Management Act (MFMA) apply. In brief, procurement processes must be fair, competitive, open and above board.
To this end, government strives to ensure that procurement processes within Host Cities and at the Local Organising Committee (LOC) which is where most of the buying happens comply with our legal requirements. We do not expect any department, Host City or the Local Organising Committee to depart from these commitments.
Where the PFMA, the MFMA and the Employment Equity Act are not followed, transactions would be reviewed during normal internal audit processes as well as during the audit processes of the Auditor-General. The relevant authority will need to take action commensurate with the severity of the transgression.
We continue to encourage institutions of government as well as the LOC to comply and deliver their respective guarantees within the parameters of all applicable legislation, policies and regulations. This House must continue to ask questions and demand accountability from all those involved in the preparations for the 2010 World Cup including the Host Cities and Local Organising Committee.
Issued by: The Presidency
19 August 2009
