PE stadium races to finish within extended deadline
By: Sylvester Haskins
Published: 20 Jun 08 - 0:00
The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium, in Port Elizabeth, is set to be completed in time to meet the deadlines set by FIFA, after the world soccer governing body raised concerns about the pace of developments in the building of the new R1,2-billion stadium.
FIFA and the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) announced last month that the Nelson Mandela multipurpose stadium was back on track as one of five stadiums to host the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, which is to be held between June 14 and June 28, 2009, and serves as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Nelson Mandela multipurpose stadium is the only brand-new stadium selected by FIFA to host the Confederations Cup.
The other four host stadiums, namely Ellis Park, in Johannesburg, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, in Pretoria, the Free State Stadium, in Bloemfontein, and the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, in Rustenburg, have all undergone minor extensions to their seating capacity.
FIFA drew up two separate calendars for the 2009 Confederations Cup, earlier this year, one with four venues and another with five to include PE in preparation for the event.
LOC chairperson Irvin Khoza, however, expressed his faith in the readiness of the stadium as host of the Confederations Cup, at a media conference held in PE last month.
"PE is a new stadium and that is why we have been patient with them. "Recently, they have accelerated the process, which gives us comfort that the FIFA Confederations Cup will be a success," commented, Khoza.
FIFA secretary-general Jérôme Valcke confirmed at the PE press conference that an exception had been made in the case of PE, which had been given an extension from the December 14, 2008, deadline set by FIFA for all the World Cup stadium venues, to March 30, 2009.
"At any time, we can decide that the PE stadium will not be on the list if certain deadlines are not complied with. "The answers received over the last few days, as well as a site visit [lead us] to believe that PE will be ready by March 30, 2009," said Valcke.
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s executive director for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Errol Heynes, says that developments at the PE stadium are on track.
"Although the initial target set for completion of the stadium was December 2008, it has been extended to March 2009 and we are on track," he confirms.
Heynes says that the city plans to change the perception of risk associated with the stadium in the past and adds that the city has gained the confidence to double its effort in delivering a successful competition.
In a media statement last month, Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Nondumiso Maphazi welcomed the confidence that FIFA and the LOC showed in the municipality’s ability to be among the host cities for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and committed the municipality to deliver on all aspects of the city’s preparations.
Maphazi offered the assurance that the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium would be delivered on time and in accordance with FIFA standards.
"We commit to continue to work as hard as we have been doing and deliver on all requirements as promised," said Maphazi.
The municipality will host eight matches during the World Cup and the Nelson Mandela stadium, which is set to be a 48 000- seater facility, is about 1 km from the beach front and right on the banks of a lake.
Heynes says that this allows for enormous potential for growth and development.
"We see the stadium as a catalyst for the building of a new economic node in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality," he adds.
Heynes says that the 2010 event will significantly benefit small to medium-sized and microenterprises, in terms of job creation, economic and skills development and legacy building.
Edited by: Laura Tyrer