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23 January 2009

With just over 500 days to go before kick-off for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele is confident that the province is well on track to host this historic event.

"KwaZulu-Natal is completing its most stable five years in the history of the province. We have moved from a province of gloom to a province of prosperity, occupying a well-deserved position of international prestige. No longer do people identify the province with, merely, its big five or its reputation for violence, but rather with the fruits of development and success, which are evident for the entire world to see.

"The hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup will add to the gains of the province. With 500 days to go on Monday, 26 January 2009, before kick-off, KwaZulu-Natal is well on track to host this historic event. We hosted the 1 000 day countdown celebration as well as the 2010 Indaba. On 25 November 2007, the 2010 Fifa World Cup preliminary draw took place in Durban and was an overwhelming success. The province hosted representatives from 204 of the 208 soccer-playing nations of the world as well as a contingent of international media the largest Fifa representation ever.

"We are very excited about the spectacular progress being made on the new 70 000 seater Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. On behalf of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, we want to commend the construction workers at stadium for this progress. It will once more send out a loud and clear message that we in KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of South Africa are on track for the World Cup.

"We have no doubt that the new, more than R2 billion, stadium, which will host 2010 World Cup group matches and one of the semi-finals, ranks among the best sports facilities in the world. Our sport complex will be more like the ones in South Korea, where they also have museums.

"Our museum will tell the story of the Zulu people and the story of the people of KwaZulu-Natal. The sport complex will not be a white elephant post-2010. The museum will contain various historic materials on politics, sport, heritage and culture and we are also going to create a multimedia centre. The museum will also capture historic events such as the formation of African Wanderers as the first soccer club in 1906.

"We want to praise the people working on projects related to the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We are working hard to bring all our people on board. We want something similar to the Barack Obama wave, with almost everybody in the world being excited that he is the new President of the United States.

"The province of KwaZulu-Natal is ready to host the world's greatest sporting spectacle. There is no plan b. We are confident that you the people of KwaZulu-Natal are already gearing up to provide our renowned hospitality in our well-known spirit of Ubuntu, to our thousands of expected international visitors.

Therefore, as the clock ticks inexorably down towards that epochal moment in June 2010, may we, the people of this proud province of KwaZulu-Natal, proceed with confidence and determination to hosting the most memorable of any World Cup in history," said the Premier.

Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Premier's Spokesperson
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Cell: 083 644 4050
E-mail: maistryl@premier.kzntl.gov.za

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
23 January 2009
Source: SAPA