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Kick-off in Cape Town: South Africa 2010 on track |
| FIFA.com |
There may be almost four years until the curtain comes up on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, but already there is a great deal of work taking place behind the scenes to ensure that a stage is provided befitting of the world's greatest single sports event. Working together towards that aim are FIFA, the Organising Committee (SAOC), South Africa's local and national government, Host Cities and FIFA Partners, all of whom are currently represented in Cape Town for a kick-off workshop.
The workshop was opened by a high level delegation which included FIFA's new Executive Committee member, Dr Amos Adamu, who welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Federation's President, Joseph S. Blatter. He reaffirmed FIFA's "full and continued support of the President and the Executive Committee and football family around the world."
There was also positive news on the scale and speed of the progress being made, with FIFA's representatives, SAOC Chief Executive Danny Jordaan and SAOC Chairman Irvin Khoza all in agreement that all the preparatory work was on track and, crucially, on time.
For his part, the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, delivered a speech reiterating South Africa's commitment to working with FIFA to "win in Africa, with Africa" in 2010.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his deputy and many other South African cabinet ministers at the opening plenary session, Mbeki said: "The high-level Government participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off workshop reflects not only the seriousness of the tasks that lie ahead of us, but also the Government's passion and unequivocal commitment to make the 2010 World Cup an eminently successful tournament."
 | | South African President Thabo Mbeki makes remarks 24 October 2006 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup "Kick-off" workshop at a conference center in Cape Town. South Africa will be the first African country to host the football World Cup. (Photo: Gianluigi Guercia) |
'Safety and security'
The plenary session included presentations by the minister of transport, Jeff Radebe, the minister of safety and security, Charles Nqakula and the deputy-minister of finance, Jabu Moleketi, who combined to comprehensively demonstrate the South African government's unflinching commitment to delivering a magnificent and memorable FIFA World Cup.
Nqakula reassured the delegation that: "We (South Africa) have the capacity and ability to protect the 2010 World Cup and to create necessary conditions for safety and security for the entire FIFA family."
FIFA and its partners had been welcomed by the mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille, the day before at a beachside cocktail function, and the conference continues tomorrow with an upbeat mood having already been established.
It is only a few months since Joseph S. Blatter predicted that the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ would take place to "the sound of African drums", and the FIFA President's words certainly rang true as an the kick-off workshop began with music. Though the workshop has a practical basis, one of its central themes is that the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be one that inspires hope and dreams, using football as its platform.
Helping government and FIFA representatives in illustrating this was one of South Africa's most celebrated poets and playwrights, Malika Ndlovu, who delivered a poem entitled 'Decade of Dreams', which was specially commissioned for the workshop. She stepped onto the stage shaking a rain-stick, declaring:
"With you,
We begin,
Reeling in a new vision,
On the horizon four years ahead,
Guided by our aspirations."
For all concerned with South Africa 2010, those aspirations and dreams are now slowly becoming a reality.
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