Interview conducted by Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala- Director of Super Deporte, Radiounion 880 AM- with the South African Ambassador  to Peru, Amb. Chris Streeter, about South Africa’s preparedness to host the FIFA 2010 World Cup Football finals in year 2010 

Date of the interview: Friday, 19 October 2007 from 09h00 - 10:00

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala:  FIFA’s Football World Cup will in 2010 for the first time in its history, be hosted on the African Continent.  Can you give us a brief history of African Football?

Ambassador Streeter: You are indeed correct.  It is the first time.  FIFA was established 103 years ago in May 1904 and its first FIFA World Cup was hosted by Uruguay in 1930.

The decision by FIFA in May 2004 to award the most prestigious sports event in the World to South Africa, was an important milestone for FIFA, for South Africa and for the Continent of Africa.

As you know the other contenders from Africa in 2004 to host the World Cup were Egypt and Morocco;

With regard to a brief history of African Football, I can say that Football has been played in South Africa since the 19th Century.  For example the “Orange Free State Team” played against England in the United Kingdom in 1899.  This was a winning team and their sponsors at the time were so impressed with their results that they organised games for them in Germany and Austria in 1900. 

Since then Football became very poplar on the Continent and African Teams have been participating in the FIFA World Cup since 1934.

It is within this context that the African Continent reconfirmed in a declaration at the 8th Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government to make the FIFA 2010 World Cup a truly African Tournament, by committing all its Members States to provide total support to the Government and People of South Africa in their efforts to organise the 2010 event successfully and effectively.

Therefore I would like to state that the World Cup is a great chance  for the African Continent to welcome the World into Africa and to take Africa into the World!

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: How do the people of South Africa feel about hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup?

Ambassador Streeter: Of course we are very proud and pleased to receive the Football Fans from all over the world to provide them not only with a great Football Experience, but also with a truly African Experience!

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: How does the South African Government view the hosting of the 2010 World Cup?

Ambassador Streeter: The South African Government and of course our people, have pledged that the first FIFA World Cup held on African soil will be the best tournament ever staged.  Delivering a successful event is where it all starts – but the Government has even higher aims for 2010. Therefore, hosting of the World Cup and the reason for funding the infrastructure that the event demands, coincides with the Government’s priorities of economic growth and development goals for South Africa. 

In this regard, South Africa has already met some of the Millennium Development Goals for 2014 set by the United Nations in 2000 and is well on its way to meeting others.  But being the 2010 host will give the country a significant boost towards its target growth rate for the economy of at least 6% by 2010. 

Furthermore, South Africa’s ambitions of hosting the World Cup do not end with the event itself.  In fact when the whistle is blown at the close of the final match in Johannesburg, it will mean the end of the tournament – but the beginning of a legacy.  This legacy will be one that stretches far and wide – for example, by 2010 South Africa would have built better sports facilities; a better public transport system and better roads and an upgraded telecommunications infrastructure.  It is also about building the country in ways that go beyond improving infrastructure, it is about developing football and the youth, promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, and fostering pride in our country and our Continent – Africa.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: To host the World Cup is a major undertaking.  What experiences does South Africa have in hosting major events?

Ambassador Streeter: To name only a few, South Africa’s track record in managing high-level events speak for itself.  We have hosted several global gathering, such as:

• The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002;
• The Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1998;
• The Rugby World Cup of Nations in 1995;
• The All Africa Games in 1999; and
• The Cricket World Cup in 2003;

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Do you think South Africa will be ready to host the World Cup in 2010?

Ambassador Streeter: Last week from Tuesday, 9 October to Thursday, 11 October 2007, a FIFA Delegation and the South African 2010 Organising Committee, went on an inspection tour to view the progress South Africa has made in its programmes to host the 2010 World Cup.  At the end of the inspection the FIFA Delegation praised the progress that has been made.  Apart from visiting four of the nine host cities, they also evaluated progress reports on accommodation, transportation and finances.  FIFAS’ Head of Media Operations and a Member of the visiting Delegation, Mr Alain Leiblang, on Friday, 12 October  stated “We were able to see signs of huge transformations in the host cities.  The task ahead is a big one and we admire the ambition and the efforts of the host cities to make 2010 a very successful event.  We are quite happy that the programme is on track for the World Cup”.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Can you tell us more about the Host Cities and their Stadiums and do you have any pictures to show me?

Ambassador Streeter: The World Cup will be hosted at 10 stadiums in 9 Host Cities across South Africa.

• (1) The City of Johannesburg in Gauteng Province is the New York of South Africa and has more than 3 million people living in it.   It is also commonly referred to as the City of Gold as a result of its major gold mining activities.  Two Stadiums for the World Cup are located in Johannesburg, namely: “Soccer City” or Football City.  This is the Stadium that will host the Final Game.  The Stadium can accommodate 95 000 football fans.  Currently it is receiving a major upgrade to be completed in October 2009.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the Stadium after its renovation;

• The second Stadium in the City of Johannesburg is Ellis Park and it can accommodate 60 000 football fans.  It is currently also being renovated, which will be completed in December 2008.  This Stadium will host five first round matches, a second round match and a quarter-final.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the Stadium after its renovation;

• (2) The City of Pretoria also in Gauteng Province is 55 kilometres from Johannesburg.  It  is the Capital City of our country and the City where I come from.  There are 2.2 million people living in it and important automotive manufacturers have their factories here, namely, BMW; Nissan; Toyota and a number of Korean and Indian brands, respectively.  The Loftus Versveld Stadium is located here and it can accommodate 50 000 football fans.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the Stadium after its renovation;

• (3) The City of Cape Town in the Western Province is 1400 km from Johannesburg, and it is our San Francisco. There are 2,9 million people living in it.  It accommodates Parliament and the City is well-known for its beaches, being washed by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, its mountains, wine-tastings and fine dining.  The old Greenpoint Stadium has been demolished and currently a brand new Greenpoint Stadium is being constructed, which will accommodate  70 000 Football Fans.  Eight matches, including a semi-final will be played here. The new Stadium will be completed in October 2009.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the new Stadium;

• (4) The City of Durban is located in KwaZulu Natal Province and it is our Miami.  Durban is 700 km from Johannesburg with 2.6 million people living in it.  The City is well-known for its pleasant climate and beautiful beaches.  The Durban port is the busiest container port in the Southern Hemisphere.  A completely new Stadium, The Moses Mabhida Stadium is currently being constructed, which will be completed by October 2009.  The Stadium can accommodate 70 000 football fans and will host five first rounds and one second round match, as well as one of the Semi-Finals. Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the new Stadium;

• (5) The City of Port Elizabeth is located in the Eastern Cape Province and is about 550 km from Johannesburg.  There are 1,5 million people living in the City and important automotive manufacturers have there factories here, namely, Daimler Benz; General Motors; Volkswagen; and Ford.  A complete new Stadium, The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, is currently under construction, which will be completed by December 2008.  The Stadium will accommodate 48 000 football fans and will host seven matches, including one of the Semi-final Games.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the new Stadium;

• (6) The City of Nelspruit is located in Mpumalanga Province, which means the “place of the rising sun”, and it is 60 km West of the border with Mozambique.  Nelspruit is about 470 km from Johannesburg.  There are 560 000 people living in this City and it is the Gateway to the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Mozambique.  The famous 100 year old Kruger National Park forms part of this new Transfrontier Park.  A brand new stadium is currently under construction in Nelspruit, called the Mataffin Stadium, which will be completed by October 2009.  The stadium will accommodate      46 000 football fans and it will host four first round matches.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the new Stadium

• (7) The City of Polokwane - which means “place of safety” - is located in the Limpopo Province and is about 250 km from Johannesburg.  Just over 500 000 people live in this City.  Polokwane frequently hosts top international athletic events and is rich in wildlife.  Again a brand new Stadium will be built here, called, the Peter Mokaba Stadium which will accommodate 46 000 football fans and will host a number of first round matches.  Construction will be completed by October 2009.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the new Stadium

• (8) The City of Bloemfontein is in the Free State Province in the centre of the country – where I was born – It is home to the Supreme Court of South Africa.  It also forms part of the most important agricultural and mining activities in the country. The City is 470 km from Johannesburg with 850 000 people living in it.  Vodacom Park Stadium will receive a major upgrade to be completed by December 2008.  The Stadium will host five first rounds and one second round match.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the upgraded Stadium.

• (9) The City of Rustenburg is located in North-West Province and lies at the foot of the Magalies mountain range.  It is about 210 km from Johannesburg and 400 000 people live here.  The City is also close to the world famous Sun City and the Lost City, which form the Las Vegas of South Africa.  The annual US$2 million international golf tournament is also being played here.  The region is rich in wildlife and mining activities.  The Royal Bafokeng Stadium is currently undergoing a major upgrade to be completed by December 2008.  This Stadium will accommodate 46 000 football fans and will host five first round matches and one second round match.  Mr Maraví kindly allow me to show you an architectural drawing of the upgraded Stadium.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: How many tourists for the World Cup is South Africa expecting in 2010 and how will they be accommodated?

Ambassador Streeter: Since it is the first time that the World Cup will be hosted in Africa and with South Africa’s abundance of excellent tourism opportunities, we have estimated that 2,7 million spectators will attend the 64 matches being played in South Africa, with 28 billion people around the world following the games on Television.

There will be sufficient accommodation available in and around all the Host Cities.  Furthermore, an extensive programme by South African business is currently underway to build more hotels.  Therefore, accommodation ranges from Guest Houses, to Hotels in the 3 star to 5 star categories, as well as Game Lodges and others.

One of the requirements however, is that all 2010 accommodation establishments must be graded by the Hospitality Grading Council of South Africa in order to ensure that they charge tourists prices, which correspond to their grading.  Those not willing to being graded will not be allowed to receive 2010 guests.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Transporting hundreds of thousands of football fans must be a headache for South Africa? How is your country preparing for this?

Ambassador Streeter: Sufficient transport for football fans will be offered by taxis; rapid bus systems; passenger trains and the new fast train – the Gautrain rapid link between Johannesburg, Pretoria and the OR Tambo International Airport.  Furthermore luxury coaches, private rental cars and domestic aviation will also be available to football fans.  Currently roads are being upgraded to accommodate the increased volume of vehicles; train stations are being upgraded and airports in the host cities will be upgraded and enlarged.  To manage the large volume of traffic an additional 5 764 traffic policemen and women will be required.

The Government is therefore, using the World Cup as a catalyst for faster development of an efficient, sustainable and affordable public transport system that will benefit commuters and the economy years after the World Cup.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Security of the National Teams from other football countries and for Tourists are major issues for any country hosting a FIFA World Cup.  How will South Africa in 2010 ensure safety and security?

Ambassador Streeter: The South African Government has assured the millions of football fans who will be coming to watch the 2010 matches in the different Host Cities that they will be safe.

South Africa has a comprehensive safety and security plan for the World Cup in place, which will provide full security for the event and FIFA has approved South Africa’s ability to manage safety for all fans.  After the latest inspection visit by FIFA, it said “that the South African Authorities had the know-how and resources to manage security during 2010 and that the South African Police had provided an excellent, comprehensive schedule that would without doubt satisfy every requirement for the World Cup”.

Furthermore, the South African Minister of Safety and Security on 30 August 2007 said that South Africa is aware that criminal elements from outside the country may use the World Cup event as a cover to enter the country and engage in criminal activities, therefore the South African Intelligence Services will play a major role in preventing such criminals from engaging in these illegal acts.  An Intelligence Plan has been put in place to deal with the criminal scenario.

South Africa will also use its experience gained during the hosting of the World Rugby Cup in 1995; The African Cup of Nations in 1996; the All Africa Games in 1999; the Cricket World Cup in 2003 and so forth.  It also engaged Germany who hosted the World Cup in 2006 and all other nations that hosted World Cups before to learn from their experiences.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: How is the preparation of South Africa’s National Football Team for 2010 progressing?

Ambassador Streeter: South Africa’s National Football team is called “Bafana Bafana”.  Since January 2006 a new coach has been appointed to train the South African team up to the 2010 World Cup.  This new coach comes from Brazil and has extensive football experience.  He coached Brazil to victory in the 1994 World Cup.  His name is Carlos Alberto Parreira.

So, if we loose, we will blame the coach!

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: We know that South Africans love football, what are the other popular spectator sports in your country?

Ambassador Streeter: Rugby is very popular in South Africa and as you probably know the Rugby World Cup is currently being hosted by France.  Tomorrow South Africa plays in the final mach against England.  If you are interested to see how South Africans play rugby in a World Cup at 14:00 tomorrow,  it will be broadcast by either FOX Sports on Channel 30 or TV5 Mondo on Channel 56.
The other popular sports are:

• Cricket
• Tennis
• Golf
• Athletics
• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Boxing
• Wrestling
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Car racing
• Motor cycle racing
• Cycling
• Surfing

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Fans not only attend the various games but they also before or after the games engage in tourism.  What are the tourism options and facilities that they might expect?

Ambassador Streeter: From a tourism point of view, South Africa has many times been described as a world in one country.  While boasting cosmopolitan and sophisticated cities, the country also has a striking natural beauty.  South Africa has some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery and features an amazing display of bird and wildlife species, including the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.  The country is ranked as the third most biologically diverse in the world.  There are numerous game reserves, game lodges and nature trails that offer a taste of Africa’s natural appeal.  We have a large number of golden beaches to be enjoyed in coastal resorts of high quality.

South Africa also offers a huge number of RCI Time Share Resorts for football fans who are RCI Members.  The Resorts, Hotels and Lodges are of an outstanding quality and fans will enjoy this during their time of relaxation.  This is assisted by high standard shopping centres and tourist services.

Furthermore, due to the diversity of our Rainbow Nation and our cultures, a variety of cultural experiences are offered to the visitor.   South Africa also has seven World Heritage sites proclaimed by UNESCO.

I invite all listeners to this programme to visit the South African Embassy in San Isidro,  to obtain tourism material and website addresses which will assist them in planning their visit to South Africa. 

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: I like to explore the local food when I visit a new country, can you inform us of South African culinary specialities?

Ambassador Streeter: South Africans love steak, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, meat from the different antelopes, pumpkin, potato, sweat potato, rice and ice creams.  And then there are delicacies like, Boerewors, Biltong – dried meat and dried sausages – which are the staple food with nartjies for Rugby Fans during games.

When it comes to cooking, South Africans love to barbeque outside under the African sun, normally done by the men, with their favourite bear brewed by South African Breweries, who also owns Backus and Johnston in Peru.  We also enjoy our world class wines produced in the Western Cape (Cape Town Region)  and our Amarula liqueur, which can be purchased at Wong, Vivanda and Santa Isabel in Lima.

Food and drink are great in my country!!

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Visitors would also like to know what the South African currency is and its exchange rate against the Dollar of the United States – could you inform us please?

Ambassador Streeter: Our currency is called the RAND and 100 cents give you R1,00.  Depending on the strength of the United States Dollar, R7,00 would give you one Dollar.  Measured against the Nuevo Sol, S/1.00 gives you R2,15.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: To put South Africa as the Host Country for 2010 in perspective, what is the population of your country and its geographical size?

Ambassador Streeter: We are a rainbow nation of 48 million people who have 11 Official languages, living in 9 Provinces.  South Africa is the size of Peru, however we do not have an Andean Mountain range that occupies a large area of the Peruvian geographical area.

Mr Raúl Maraví Ayala: Early travel arrangements for football fans are important.  How do Football Fans from South American countries get to South Africa for the FIFA 2010 World Cup?

Ambassador Streeter: From Lima one would fly with LanPeru or TACA to Sao Paulo, which is a 5 hour flight and then the same day fly with South African Airways to Johannesburg, which is a 10 hour overnight flight.

It is also possible to fly from Lima to Buenos Aires and then with South African Airlines or Malaysian Airlines to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

However, early bookings are quite important since these flights are normally chock and block full.