Mick Hartley

Australia 2010

Written by

Mick Hartley

in

From the Scotsman:

As the World Cup in Germany draws to a close, it is being reported in South Africa that FIFA executives have made contingency plans to move the 2010 competition to Australia because of South Africa’s high levels of violent crime, inadequate public transport, widespread AIDS infection and a general lack of readiness.

The reports, based on an interview with a member of South Africa’s organising committee just back from Germany, coincide with confirmation that the country’s prestigious World Cup transport project, a rapid-rail link from Johannesburg airport to the centre and Pretoria, will not be ready on time.

The former South African president Nelson Mandela celebrated by holding the World Cup aloft in May 2004 when his country won the right to host the 2010 World Cup finals. But the report in the Rapport newspaper said FIFA was alarmed by the organising committee’s plan for “tented towns” to relieve a lack of hotel accommodation.

Joop Demes, the managing director of the hotel investment arm of real estate group Pam Golding, said 600 new hotels would be needed, each with at least 100 rooms, to lodge the one million-plus fans expected to flood South Africa in July 2010. […]

Tony Leon, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, the official opposition, said South Africa was “two years behind in its preparations, due to government sluggishness in processing all the legislation necessary”.

Tony Twine, a leading independent econo-mist, warned that the South African organisers and government were adopting “a very casual” approach. He added: “I’m not sure we’re going to cope with it.”

Rapport quoted the anonymous member of the South African organising committee as saying FIFA officials are increasingly cynical about Danny Jordaan’s assurances that everything is fine and ahead of schedule.

The confirmation by Murray & Roberts, South Africa’s biggest construction company, that the £2 billion Gautrain project will not be ready for 2010 is only part of the evidence contradicting him.

The country’s public transport system is generally in chaos, and there is no transport system at all in three of the centres where World Cup matches would be played – Nelspruit, Rustenburg and Polokwane.

Comments

  1. dearieme Avatar
    dearieme

    Lucky old Australia – getting the South African World Cup AND the London Olympics.

    Reply
  2. John Barr Avatar
    John Barr

    This is just a ploy to encourage the South African authorities to speed things up a bit and maybe throw some extra money at the project. One recalls reading the same things about the preparations for the Athens Olympics a few years ago (They’ll never be ready in time!). But I think Australia is a bit of an empty threat. Politically it would be almost impossible for FIFA to take the WC away from poor South Africa and give it to a country like Australia. Bono and Sir Bob would throw a fit!

    Reply
  3. Adrian Stanley Avatar
    Adrian Stanley

    Don’t forget that FIFA took the 1986 World Cup away from Columbia and gave it to Mexico (for the second time) for much the same reason. FIFA won’t risk a disaster just to placate Sir Bob!

    Reply
  4. John Barr Avatar
    John Barr

    Well, we’ll see. But moving the Cup from one Latin American country to another is one thing. Taking it from an African country and moving to Oz is something else, especially when FIFA made such a great show of their magnaminity in awarding the Cup to Africa. My guess is that FIFA haven’t got the guts to admit they were wrong in awarding it to SA in the first place.

    Reply
  5. llll Avatar
    llll

    i dont think australia would be ready either to host a world cup 3 years and seven months thats the time required from now to the next world cup if south africa was axed it wouldnt be confirmed until 2008 thats 2 years to the next world cup with the lack of stadiums emediatly ready and 3 years and 7 months or 2 years being not enough time to build the apropriate stadiums or get the other stadiums we have ready its imposable im australian i would love to see the world cup here and i do beleive we can host a world cup but not in the time frame i just mentioned if by some miracle we did it wich i doubt i would extaticaly happy and proud of the acheivement if south africa was axed in january 2006 then i would have said we could do it

    Reply
  6. dont bull shi* your self Avatar
    dont bull shi* your self

    who ever just mentioned the athens olympics youve got your head so far up ass its coming out of your mouth that was one city dic* head the world cup is in 10 citys try getting 10 athens olympics ready in time and you do not compare the world cup with the olympics dont even go there you obviously dont know nothing about the world cup

    Reply
  7. Wait and see Avatar
    Wait and see

    From a more realistic approach I think all South Africans should just sit down and agree whether they are ready or not.If they do not have the resources they should come out and FIFA should give the 2010 bid to better and well equipped participants.It would be a huge embarrasment if later on say in the year 2009 the bid is eventually taken away.One thing South Africans should realise is that the are just like any other African Country pretending to be a first world country and they have worse problems than most of these African States,like lack of decent accomodation(I mean shacks for the black majority),security issues,transport problems,too much bureaucracy,high unemployment levels,high illeteracy levels,alarming crime rates etc and for them to invest in Stadiums,Gautrain,Hotels,Airport Upgrades etc for the sake of international visitors is a shame and yet their own citizen are languishing in poverty.I believe time will tell.

    Reply
  8. Take it away Avatar
    Take it away

    South Africa is going down the toilet. Just read their daily news and you will see what I mean.
    http://www.news24.co.za
    and
    http://www.crimexposouthafrica.org
    The level of violent crimes against tourists is disgusting!!!
    No way in hell will I take the risk of going there in 2010!

    Reply
  9. soccer Avatar
    soccer

    Well i am an Australian and i would love to see the world cup here, but that does not mean we would take it away from South Africa. you must understnd that if SA fails to fit the requirment we would not be stealing it we would just be giving Africa more time to be ready to host a FIFA World Cup. If it is said that the country cannot host Australia willput its hand up, as the World Cup has not visited the Pacific region yet.

    Reply
  10. Mac Avatar
    Mac

    I am a white SOuth African, one of the few whites that have not upped and left. They have only just begun to renovate / build stadiums. There has been a huge uproar regarding the stadium in Cape Town as to the location. The black people are complaining that it is too far from the township, the whites are complaining its on their favourite golf course. What black people dont realise is that the ones complaining about the distance, most cant afford a ticket. Traditionally in SA, when blacks want something, they dont want to pay for it, and then the SH1T hits the fan (it happens with University students with unpaid fees).
    I initially was happy that we wont the WC bid, in the hope that it would bring investment and maybe the government would at least give crime / poverty (and all the other problems) the attention that it needs. Clearly this does not seem to be a priority.
    What will result is government helping themselves to the proceeds of the WC (the norm in Africa)?
    Our president , who i had faith in when he was appointed, does not have a clue what is best for the people of SA, and spends more time galavanting around the world.
    Back to the point, this country is not ready for the WC, when a news briefing on the WC was held earlier in the year, the WC commiteee didnt pitch, how embarassing for SA when international journalists see how “serious” SA is, and FIFA just brushes it off.
    We have a major power shortage in SA< the warning signs were there 10 yrs ago, the CEO of Eskom (national grid) denies seeing it – 10yrs warning, how blind can u be. We cant even provide power to the people , how the hell can we run a WC -http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/economy/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=econ&ArticleID=1518-25_2064685
    So to the Aussies out there, get ready for a relocation of the WC, to SA , get ready for egg on ya face.

    Reply

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