Govt to meet 2010 deadlines - Motlanthe

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Cape Town - Government will meet its infrastructure deadlines well ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, says Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Delivering his Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday, the deputy president said oversight visits conducted by members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee have helped to ensure that government and other stakeholders meet their deadlines on infrastructure programmes.

"Working with other stakeholders such as the 2010 Local Organising Committee, we are glad to announce that we have made significant progress in pursuit of our goal to host a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Mr Motlanthe.

However, he cautioned that budget overruns by some host cities, especially in the current economic difficulties, needed to be addressed urgently so as to ensure that expenditure was within budget.

"We are, however, confident that the economic benefits flowing from the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition will soften some of the cutting effects of this economic crisis," added Mr Motlanthe.

He said government had noted concerns relating to delays experienced in Mpumalanga over the construction of the Mbombela Stadium.

Discussions with the affected parties were taking place on an ongoing basis in an attempt to resolve all outstanding matters.

"We have also started to pay focussed attention to all the 2010 legacy projects so that the facilities are used for the maximum benefit of our people and our country beyond 2010," he said.

Mr Motlanthe further said if anything was needed to confirm South Africa's readiness to host the biggest soccer showpiece, the Confederations Cup underway has demonstrated that the country was on course to meet its objectives.

There are only three matches left before the curtain is drawn to this year's Confederations Cup and there has not been any major incidents reported.

"Indeed, the Confederations Cup has also helped us identify areas that require improvement to deliver the best World Cup ever," said the deputy president, adding that government was convinced Bafana Bafana, will continue improving ahead of 2010.