2010 in danger, warns US envoy

[Daniedj]

I've heard warnings on radio that RSA might loose the 2010 WSC if building and upgrading of infrastructure does not start soon.

 

[Syndyre]

The point is that all the naysayers have no more factual information for claiming the country cannot be ready in time or for claiming that people won't come to the event.

Has someone done a survey of soccer fans to see how many have said they absolutely will not come?

Maybe not hard facts but you can clearly see the differences in public transport infrastructure between e.g. Germany and South Africa. The incident where the LOC also didn't pitch for a press conference doesn't inspire much confidence either.

 

[noxibox]

I know personally about 10 Soccer fanatics that definitely wont come... they tell 10 of their friends

Can't be that fanatical if they aren't determined to see the games directly.

However I meant a representative survey.

 

[RichardP]

Can't be that fanatical if they aren't determined to see the games directly.

However I meant a representative survey.

Yeah, I know not very scientific.... but a Soccer fanatic wont go to a war zone to watch a match - thats just plain dumb!

 

[Syndyre]

The problem is that we have gotten so used to living with crime that an outside perspective seems odd.

We live behind 6 foot barbed wire electrified fences. Our paranoia has sprouted countless industries that gladly take our money to give us a false sense of security.

Exactly, you then start to think that this is normal or its not so bad. Its only when you actually go overseas for a while that you see how dysfunctional it really is here.

 

[nthdimension]

I've heard warnings on radio that RSA might loose the 2010 WSC if building and upgrading of infrastructure does not start soon.

Well we can't have a world cup on the loose.

Who is warning that SA will lose the games?

 

[JBFRobisher]

bitching and whining does absolutely nothing!

What part of this did you not understand?:

This are true.

 

[Daniedj]

Well we can't have a world cup on the loose.

Who is warning that SA will lose the games?

Heard it on East Coast Radio.

 

[nthdimension]

Heard it on East Coast Radio.

Isn't South Africa famous for its rumour-mongering?

 

[supersunbird]

I should start a site:

www. ourcountrysuckssodontcomeherefortheworldcupcauseourgovernmentisnotconsernedaboutkeepingitownpeoplesafe. com

 

[RichardP]

I think everyone involved with 2010 should get the same Hymm-book and sing the same songs...

South Africa 'on track' for 2010

19 October 2006

South Africa is on track, if not ahead of schedule, in its preparations for hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, according to local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2006/08/17/2003323602
AP, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Thursday, Aug 17, 2006, Page 20

South Africa's parliament approved legislation on Tuesday for the 2010 World Cup, with lawmakers showing rare unanimity that South Africa will be ready to host soccer's biggest event.

Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile dismissed criticism that the construction of stadiums is behind schedule and that the country's transport network won't be able to cope with the influx of visitors.

http://www.worldcup2010southafrica.com/content/view/281/92/

Cape Town lacks transport for 2010 World Cup visitors
Saturday, 19 November 2005
The Mother City is already behind schedule in its planning to overcome transport problems expected during the World Cup in 2010, Louis Steenkamp, outgoing president of the Cape Town regional chamber of commerce and industry, said yesterday. He told the chamber?s annual general meeting that even the final decision on which stadium to use had not been made yet.

http://www.swc2010.com/news.php
"And you guys wonder why SA's preparations receive such bad press in Europe," one of them said as he walked out.

Khoza and Jordaan have been pleading with the South African media to write positive stories following some European countries' concerted efforts to rubbish the 2010 World Cup preparations.

 

[Daniedj]

Isn't South Africa famous for its rumour-mongering?

This seems to be regarding the Ozzies claiming RSA won't be ready. In context FIFA's still happy.

 

[nthdimension]

You must be joking? There were 205 murders in Washington in 2005.. The only stats I could find on JHB was 695 for the same year, on SAPS's website, but erm.. thats extremely hard to believe

I must be serious.

Washington DC has under 600,000 inhabitants as far as I recall, and the murder rate is somewhere around 35/100,000. If we assume that the stated Johannesburg rate is 50% of reality and therefore use 1400 as the total number of murders, along with what I believe is the population, approximately 3.2 million, we get a rate of about 43/100,000*. Worse than Washington, but not the dramatic difference implied by the basically useless absolute number of murders.

The Western Cape has a higher rate. This may well be skewed by the gang violence that flares up to crazy levels periodically, but never totally subsides.

*Someone who knows the population figures can correct me if I am wrong about the area's population.

South Africa does have an overall high murder rate, and is way ahead on burglaries and rape.

I'm still interested to know if visitors are as likely to be subject to violent crime as people who live here.

 

[xtermin8or]

FIFA says we are ahead of schedule, and i would rather believe them, as they are in the know, than a bunch of people on this forum who are speculating based on their perceptions

Soccer fans will travel anywhere to watch the beautiful game

 

[supersunbird]

So are we ahead of schedule for lowering crime?

 

[xtermin8or]

ahead of schedule for preparations for the WC, crime is already being reduced - since 1995 the crime rate has been dropping

 

[supersunbird]

ahead of schedule for preparations for the WC, crime is already being reduced - since 1995 the crime rate has been dropping

http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/r...df/provinces/gauteng/pretoria/garsfontein.pdf

Mmmmmmm...

Murder up
Rape up
Attempted murder up
Robbery with aggrevating cicumstances up
Indecent assault up
Kidnapping up
Abduction up
Culpable homicide up
Carjacking up
Robbery at residential premises up
Robbery at business premises up
Burglary at residential premises up
Burglary at business premises up
Theft of motor vehicle or motorcycle up
Theft out of or from motorvehicle up
Drugrelated crime up
Commercial crime up
Shoplifting up

 

[kingrob]

ahead of schedule for preparations for the WC, crime is already being reduced - since 1995 the crime rate has been dropping

Yes, but percentages are looking better because of the 10 million illegal immigrants.

 

[Paul_S]

We have absolutely no concept of how bad things here really are.

I guy I know went to New Zealand last week for his son's wedding.
He came back and said he could not believe the lack of crime and the lack of fear of crime.
People go to the shops and leave windows of their house open and the doors unlocked.
People go on holiday and don't even bother to lock up their house let alone bother with alarm systems.

As for the WC - bring it on - let's show the world how to really screw things up.

 

[RichardP]

FIFA says we are ahead of schedule, and i would rather believe them, as they are in the know

Dont mix Politics and Sport... WC2010 is 100% political in SA, and they will NEVER say anything bad about the 2010 planning. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Dont let a political bias cloud logic.

Yes, but percentages are looking better because of the 10 million illegal immigrants.

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2035862,00.html

10 Million known people.... but the real figure is unknown

Mbeki: Home affairs is corrupt
26/11/2006 09:12 - (SA)