The meeting evaluated immediate priorities like:
* security arrangements
* protocol services
* the 2010 legacy programme
* overview of the opening and closing ceremonies
* national disaster management
* preparations for the draw on 4 December in Cape Town
* protocol for public viewing areas
The IMC's overall impression about the state of readiness for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup is that commitment levels are high and many of the guarantees are being delivered on time.
In particular, the report on Security Arrangements indicated that plans are being operationalised in all provinces and host cities. These include training of officers responsible for command and control centres, general policing, crowd control and specialised units responsible for airspace control, organised crime, counter-terrorism and human trafficking. Vetting of service providers and the training of private security officers employed by the Local Organising Committee is also underway.
On shared protocol services, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation was encouraged to fast-track the training of all Local Organising Committee and government personnel who will provide protocol support during the tournament.
A number of legacy programmes are already being rolled out and these include the participation of schools, communities and the galvanizing of the masses. An estimated 11 000 youths have participated in 136 five-aside tournaments. Artificial turfs for five-aside games are being built throughout the country. Also, about 450 soccer clubs have been established in South Africa as part of the Legacy Programmes.
A report on the state of readiness of National Disaster Management for the 2010 World Cup was presented. A national guidelines document has been developed and distributed to all relevant stakeholders. The National Disaster Management Centre has developed a national plan and is working on possible risks that emerged from the Confederations Cup. Significantly, a nerve centre operations room connecting to all the nine host cities is being set up and will monitor and report all incidents during the FIFA World Cup.
There were deliberations about Public Viewing Areas (PVAs) for fans who will not be able to attend the games. Guidelines for setting up PVAs have been developed and these will be distributed in due course. The IMC encouraged the Department of Arts and Culture to work closely with the Local Organising Committee and the host city of Johannesburg to organise the opening and closing ceremonies in a manner that will truly reflect commitment to an African World Cup by ensuring that the warmth and spirit of Africa is reflected.
The meeting noted the Deputy President's recent visit to Mbombela, Mpumalanga which helped to unlock bottlenecks, especially with regards to the building of the two schools in the Matsafeni community which were had to make way for the Mbombela stadium. The IMC mandated the National Department of Public Works to assist the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to tightly manage the building programme so that the construction of both schools begins in December as planned and finalised before kick-off in June 2010.
The building of quality schools in Matsafeni is closely linked to other township establishment processes all of which add to a package of the 2010 Dividend for the Matsafeni Community and the people of Mbombela in general. Finally, preparations for the FIFA draw on December 4 in Cape Town are progressing well. The South Africa Government looks forward to receiving the FIFA family, as represented by all 32 nations that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup, to what promises to be an exciting draw.
Questions and answers
Journalist: Just tell me a little more about this incident room, where will it be, who will man it, how big is it, and what is its essential function.
Zukile Nomvete: We will have this room obviously I can't tell you where it will be located. It will be this nerve centre and you are asking me where this nerve centre is going to be and how big the centre is going to be. I think you will appreciate it that one can't disclose it. As part of the national joint operations and national disaster management we will have these centres.
The nerve centre will be there but the provincial ones will be at host cities cascading all the way down to the venue itself. I hope that tries to answer your question I can't answer specifically where we will locate the nerve centre.
Journalist: Has there be an attempt to quantify probable economic benefits in other words spending benefits arising from the World Cup. Secondly are there measures in place to ensure that a reasonable proportion of the spending of the economic benefit of the World Cup from stadium construction, accommodation payment and spending during the event. Is there any way that we are measuring or monitoring whether some of that or how much of that money accrues to local companies?
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe: It is still early days for us to provide a scientific answer to that question in the last two quarters the only sector of our economy that showed positive growth is the construction sector and that in itself is proof of the positive benefits accruing out of the privilege of hosting this major tournament. Thank you.
Zukile Nomvete: I might add that some of the work is still ongoing and I think post the event one of the things that my office will do is to do an entire review and we will be able to measure this current juncture what is before us is actually hosting the event and ensuring that all the preparations that need to be done are in place that we are able to host a spectacular World Cup.
Journalist: What is your Budget for the opening and closing ceremonies? And what are you going to do after the World Cup; I think somebody has said it will be a sustainable investment. What are you plans to keep that going after the World Cup?
Journalist: You mentioned that the threats of terrorism were discussed can you give us more detail on how serious that was?
Zukile Nomvete: The Budget for the opening and closing ceremony we don’t have figures yet; it's work in progress because it's Africa's welcome of the world, it’s going to be an African event. We are working closely with the five other African countries that have qualified to partake in the event so and we also would like to rope in some of the commercial partners. It's a consorted effort across the border, across the country, so we haven't yet come to what the costs would be with respect to the Budget.
There is a lot of work going into ensuring long term - we have put the pressure on the South African Football Association, we have put the pressure to host cities and the provinces and I think there is a national government drive to ensure that these stadiums are put into good use and you will be aware that the Soccer City was handed over in a ceremony about two months back. We want each host city municipality to begin to look at its usage going into the future and how other people of thinking of some of the venues making it like Wembley and so on that people can be given guided tours but also for accessibility for the local community. That will be ongoing work to ensure that they are put into good use post the event. The third question was about terrorism.
Themba Maseko: We are not aware of any threat of terrorism what is important here is when you are planning a major event of the nature we are talking about you have to plan for any possible eventuality. So units have been set up to deal with airspace control, organised crime, counter terrorism, human trafficking it doesn’t necessarily mean that we have information that there will be human trafficking. But when you are hosting an event as big as this one you plan for each and every eventuality and that is what the planning is about.
FIFA also required us to demonstrate readiness to deal with any security situation that may arise and that is essentially what we are planning for but no threat of terrorism that we are aware of at this stage. This may be a good time to conclude and thank members of the media for joining us, the Deputy President and the Director-General 2010. Ladies and gentleman let's conclude but I would like to ask the Deputy President to say a few words, closing remarks before we go.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe: Well I wish you a happy Christmas and good health and I hope to see you in the New Year as we finalise our preparations for hosting this major event and I hope you continue to do the good work you are doing. Thank you.
Themba Maseko: Thank you.
Contact person:
Vusi Mona
Cell: 082 047 2260
Issued by: The Presidency
20 November 2009
