Iyke

Ever imagined an experience that money can’t buy? Well, that is what South Africa is promising anyone who is privileged to be in Madiba’s country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, writes Ikechukwu Amaechi, who just came back from Durban.

She is an ordinary working-class folk. When she spoke, it was apparent that she did not attend any Ivy League college. But she is an enchanting woman. In her very simple, albeit uncanny way, with spoken English that is anything but Queen’s, she was able to rivet an international audience, people from all over the world, including men and women schooled in the delicate art of communication.

Florina Mabhalala, known in the captivating port city of Durban as “Mama 2010,” has become a metaphor for the incredible zeal and single-mindedness with which the Southern African country is pursuing its rather exotic goal of giving anyone who comes to the country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup a “money can’t buy experience.” She is the woman who has been assigned the very challenging task, by the eThekwini Municipality, of telling thousands of people who flock the city everyday the story of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal.

Mama 2010’s patriotic fervor is infectious. Her entire world now revolves around the FIFA World Cup, which will hold next year between June 11 and July 11. But she is not alone. The whole country, literally speaking, is on fire, convulsed with the fever which only the “Beautiful Game” can induce. Right from the Oliver Thambo International Airport in Johannesburg, it became obvious that South Africans cannot wait to host the world in 2010. There was a dance group at the arrival hall, welcoming visitors. “Indeed, football is in the air,” exclaimed Kenyan Journalist, Robert Kebba.

Lee Thomas, chairman of the Match Hospitality committee explains why. “For the first time ever, the continent of Africa is hosting the world’s most prestigious football tournament, the FIFA World Cup. For the host nation, this spectacular competition means not only intense preparation, but excitement and anticipation to match.”

And the excitement is, indeed, palpable, animated by frenzied preparations. The entire country has become one huge construction site with multi-billion dollar projects that include stadiums, airports, seaports, railways, roads, hotels and other hospitality projects going on simultaneously. “The huge anticipation for the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has united this country more than anything else,” Mabhalala told Daily Independent in Durban. “And you know what?” she asks smiling. “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. That is the philosophy that is driving this national ambition. We want to surprise the world.”

The game will be hosted in nine cities, while the matches will be played in ten stadiums. In Johannesburg, there are the Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadiums, Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg; Free State Stadium, Mangaung/Bloemfontein; Green Point Stadium, Cape Town; Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane; Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth; Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Tshwane/Pretoria; and the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Six out of the ten stadiums are brand new and the Durban Stadium is one of them. Mabhalala, who had no previous experience in construction work, admits that the stadium project has radically transformed her. “The stadium is part of my history because I have been here since the beginning and have watched in awe how this beautiful edifice is being created slowly but steadily out of nothing. My life will never be the same again. I can’t wait for the World Cup to kick off next year.”

Located in the heart of the Kings Park Sporting Precinct, the stadium is a world class state-of-the-art, multifunctional complex. At a cost of R2.6 billion, South Africans want the Moses Mabhida Stadium to serve not only as a football field but a tourist centre that will, for long, remain a landmark. “The stadium has been specifically designed to ensure it will be active 365 days a year, creating a dynamic entertainment node for the city. The expansive 350m centre arch will become a ‘world first’ tourist attraction as a high tech cable car transports visitors to the viewing platform a staggering 106m above the pitch. From this vantage point visitors can experience spectacular panoramic views over the ocean and the city. The southern side of the stadium offers an adventure walk, enabling visitors to walk 550 steps to the viewing platform,” Mama 2010 explains. A high-tech cable car will take visitors up to the highest point of the arch from where they will have a panoramic view of the city  “The stadium got its design inspiration from the South African flag with the Y shaped grand arch representing unity of a sport-loving nation. The two legs on the southern side of the stadium come together to form a single footing on the northern side, symbolizing the unity of a once divided nation.”

Mabhalala further explains that the stadium has been designed and built in accordance with the latest international safety and security requirements, with special attention given to issues of crowd control and evacuation procedures. With their sight firmly trained beyond the 2010 World Cup, the stadium is being built in compliance with the latest international sporting codes “to enable it accommodate soccer, rugby and athletics events as well as affording the city of Durban the opportunity to host music concerts, cultural events, parades, motor events and more.”

When completed in October, the stadium will have a sitting capacity of 70,000, with a potential to expand to 85,000 seats. It will comfortably take 1000 cars in its parking lot and the area around the stadium is being upgraded to create a safe, user-friendly precinct. Mama 2010 explains that when completed, there will be a People’s Park, a large open space, with sports fields, ablution and changing facilities, children’s play areas and an open and relaxed restaurant. There will also be a Heroes walk on the People’s Park, which is a promenade walkway, providing access to the stadium from the city centre as well as a 1km circular track for walking, jogging or cycling. It is expected that seven matches will be played in the Durban – five group matches, one second and a semi-final match. “There is no doubt that the Moses Mabhida Stadium’s iconic design has created an unmistakable silhouette on the Durban skyline,” proclaims Nzwandile Jacks, a football buff in the city.

But Durban is not alone. In preparation for the World Cup, the entire South African landscape is being transformed. From Capetown to Kimberley, from Bloemfontein to Nelspruit, the entire country is being rebuilt. A section of the small airport at Kimberley has been closed because massive construction work is going on. Yet, no game will be played in the city. The road from Kimberley to Johannesburg is being rehabilitated. A new international airport, King Shaka international Airport, is being built in La Mercy, north of Durban. Cities are beautified and many towns are “going for green.” In fact, in its bid to host what it calls a “a carbon neutral 2010 FIFA World Cup” the city is “growing rural communities into ‘tree-preneurs’ who are empowered and employed to collect seeds, grow trees and maintain them.”

Aware of its poor reputation in terms of security, the country is mounting an intricate security web that will secure lives and property. In the City of Durban alone, over 200 cameras have already been strategically placed and closed circuit televisions (CCTV) have become ubiquitous. An official explained that an integrated security system involving safety, security and disaster management teams, capable of resolving any emergency, has been put in place, with a substantial increase in the number of highly trained staff. Security and traffic incidents in most of the host cities are to be linked to electronic information boards that will relay information to drivers on the road. In most of the cities too, public transport information call centres that will assist commuters and tourists, providing them with travel option information are being set up.

A security official in Kimberley who spoke anonymously says the CCTV cameras would ensure the safety of all who would come to South Africa for the championship. “Complementing the efforts of the various departments, including the South African Police Services (SAPS),, Metro Police, Fire Departments, Health Departments and Medical Services, we will present a formidable front that has the capacity to resolve any emergency.”

 Dr. Danny Jordan, chairman of the local organizing committee, concurs. Speaking at a media chat organized as part of the activities of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards, Jordan said the country is ready for the world. Obviously enamoured by the success of the Confederations Cup, he said each of the 64 games to be played within one month will be a memorable experience. Comparing the games with the 2006 World Cup, he said over three million people are expected at the games and more than 300 broadcasters, making it one of the most broadcast events in the world.

Kalusha Bwalya, former Captain of the Zambian national football team and President of the Football Association of Zambia agrees. Speaking with Daily Independent, Bwalya says he is excited to be associated with the preparations.

 

There is no arguing the fact that the entire country has been mobilized. Thousands of specialist volunteers such as medical practitioners, translators and information technology experts have signed up to the event.

“In South Africa Today, we wake up in the morning breathing the air of the World Cup and we go to sleep dreaming about it. By the time the championship is over, South Africa would have re-invented itself,” says Slindile Khanyile, a university student, who claims to be a volunteer. “We are all waiting to welcome the world.”

That, now, is the swan song in the Southern African country, with its rich history, breathtaking natural beauty and vibrant modern cities. Lee Thomas of the Match Hospitality group sums it up: “Our ultimate goal is to give the estimated three million people that will come for the games a money can’t buy experience.”