Soccer City on the outskirts of Soweto. The original stadium built in 1987 and major renovations have been done. The only remaining section of the stadium is the West stand. The stadium resembles a huge structure modeled on the shape of the calabash, which is an African cooking pot.
It was decided that this would be the most recognisable image to represent the continent. The façade of the stadium (outer edge) is made up of fibre reinforced panels with a selection of 8 different colours. The façade has 10 vertical slots which are geographically aligned with the nine other 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums as well as the Berlin stadium which hosted the final of the previous FIFA World Cup. This represents the road to the final.
For the World Cup it will have a capacity of 94 500 seats, and 88 430 thereafter, making it the largest stadium on the African continent.
Cost: R3.3-billion (US$ 440-million)
Over 90 000 fans will fill up this World Cup centrepiece to watch some of the most important matches in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Hosting both the opening match and the final, Soccer City stadium will soon become one of the world's most photographed structures and a world renowned symbol of South Africa's emergence onto the world stage.
World Cup matches: 8
Matches
11 June, 16h00: South Africa vs Mexico (opening match)
14 June, 13h30: Netherlands vs Denmark
17 June, 13h30: Argentina vs South Korea
20 June, 20h30: Brazil vs Côte d'Ivoire
23 June, 20h30: Ghana vs Germany
27 June, 20h30: Round of 16 1B vs 2A (2)
2 July, 20h30: Quarter-final 1 vs 3 (A)
11 July, 20h30: Final
Alternate name: Coca-Cola Park
Ellis Park in the inner city of Johannesburg is home to the Golden Lions rugby club and Orlando Pirates football club, and was the setting for South Africa's triumphant win in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. An existing stadium built in 1982, it underwent minor upgrades for the World Cup. Ellis Park has a capacity of 61 639 seats.
Cost: R550 000 (US$7 200)
World Cup matches: 7
Matches
12 June, 16h00: Argentina vs Nigeria
15 June, 20h30: Brazil vs North Korea
18 June, 16h00: Slovenia vs USA
21 June, 20h30: Spain vs Honduras
24 June, 16h00: Slovakia vs Italy
28 June, 20h30: Round of 16 1G vs 2H (7)
3 July, 20:30: Quarter-final 6 vs 8 (D)
Coordinates: 33° 54′ 12″ S, 18° 24′ 40″ E
Alternate name: Green Point Stadium
Built from scratch in the beautiful suburb of Green Point, Cape Town Stadium has views of both Table Mountain and the ocean and, in the distance, Robben Island. Built on Green Point common and within walking distance of the popular V&A Waterfront, it has a capacity of 66 000 seats. (55 000 permanent)
Cost: R4.4-billion ($600-million)
World Cup matches: 8
Matches
11 June, 20h30: Uruguay vs France
14 June, 20h30: Italy vs Paraguay
18 June, 20h30: England vs Algeria
21 June, 13h30: Portugal vs North Korea
24 June, 20h30: Cameroon vs Netherlands
29 June, 20h30: Round of 16 1H vs 2G (8)
3 July, 16h00: Quarter-final 2 vs 4 (B)
6 July, 20h30: Semi-final, A vs C (I)
Coordinates: 29º 49' 46" S, 31º 01' 49" E
Alternate name: Moses Mabhida Stadium
A new stadium built near the beachfront, Durban Stadium has transformed the city's skyline. It has been designed as a multipurpose venue, with attractions such as restaurants, shops, an art gallery and children's play areas. There's also a cable car up its arch to a top platform providing panoramic views of the city and the ocean, and even bungee jumps from the top of the arch. Its total capacity is 69 957 seats. (54 000 permanent)
Cost: R3.4-billion ($450-million)
World Cup matches: 7
Matches
13 June, 20h20: Germany vs Australia
16 June, 16h00: Spain vs Switzerland
19 June, 13h00: Netherlands vs Japan
22 June, 20h30: Nigeria vs South Korea
25 June, 16h00: Portugal vs Brazil
28 June, 16h00: Round of 16 1E vs 2F (5)
7 July, 20h30: Semi-final B vs D (II)
The People's Park is a new green space adjacent to the Moses Mabhida Stadium. It will provide pedestrian linkage to the south of the stadium, to facilitate connectivity toward the city centre. On major match days, it will be used as a space to accommodate parking and braaing after matches. The park includes two training fields with changerooms and ablutions.
The current underpass leading from the Stadium to the beach is being upgraded in order to improve pedestrian linkage to the beach. This project is planned to be completed in February 2010.
Coordinates: 25° 45′ 12″ S, 28° 13′ 22″ E
Loftus Versfeld Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in South Africa. It has been used for major sporting events since 1903, and the first concrete structure, which could accommodate only 2 000 spectators, was built by the City Council of Pretoria in 1923. It has undergone minor improvements for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and has a capacity of 49 365 seats. Location: Pretoria (Tshwane municipality), Gauteng province. Status: minor upgrade.
Stadium owner: Blue Bulls Rugby Union. Home to the successful rugby team the Blue Bulls as well as to many top flight Premier Soccer League clashes, it is unlikely that Loftus Versfeld will be left gather dust once the FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup are over.
Tournament: 2010 FIFA World Cup(tm), FIFA Confederations Cup 2009
World Cup matches: 6
Matches
13 June, 16h00: Serbia vs Ghana
16 June, 20h30: South Africa vs Uruguay
19 June, 20h30: Cameroon vs Denmark
23 June, 16h00: USA vs Algeria
25 June, 20h30: Chile vs Spain
29 June, 16h00: Round of 16 1F vs 2E (6)
Coordinates: 33° 56′ 16″ S, 25° 35′ 56″ E
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was the first of South Africa's new 2010 Fifa World Cup stadiums to be completed. It has a capacity of 46 082 seats.
Capacity: 46 082 seats (42 000 permanent)
Cost: R2.05-billion (US$270-million)
On 7 June Nelson Mandela Bay stadium became the first 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium to be officially opened - a full year ahead of the tournament. The opening was celebrated with over 17 000 residents of the city. The precinct area around the stadium is also being developed. This involves preparations for the public transport system (BRT) as well as the revamping of roads in the area. This revamp includes the widening of the roads to accommodate increases traffic as well as the improvement of the verges.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is adjacent to the North End Lake and as part of the development the water quality in the lake is set to be improved.
The stadium will also feature a figure eight running and cycling track which will circle the stadium and the lake.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has already hosted four major events including a British and Lions rugby match and the Eastern Cape Premier's Cup, and a Vodacom Cup match featuring Pirates and English Club Manchester City.
World Cup matches: 8
Matches
12 June, 13h30: South Korea vs Greece
15 June, 16h00: Côte d'Ivoire vs Portugal
18 June, 13h30: Germany vs Serbia
21 June, 16h00: Chile vs Switzerland
23 June, 16h00: Slovenia vs England
26 June, 16h00: Round of 16 1A vs 2B (1)
2 July, 16h00: Quarter-final 5 vs 7 (C)
10 July, 20h30: Third-place playoff
Coordinates: 25° 34′ 42.96″ S, 27° 9′ 38.52″ E
The Royal Bafokeng Stadium was built by the Bafokeng Nation, which owns much of the platinum-mining rights in North West province. It underwent minor renovations for the World Cup, increasing its capacity from 38 000 to 44 530 seats, with the main west stand enlarged and given a new cantilever roof. Owned by the platinum rich Royal Bafokeng community in the North West Province, the Royal Bafokeng stadium is the only privately owned stadium to be used during both the FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Royal Bafokeng stadium received an upgrade to its Western stand, with two new levels being added and this has brough the total seating capacity up to 45,000.
World Cup matches: 6
Matches
12 June, 20h30: England vs USA
15 June, 13h30: New Zealand vs Slovakia
19 June, 16h00: Ghana vs Australia
22 June, 16h00: Mexico vs Uruguay
24 June, 20h30: Denmark vs Japan
26 June, 20h30: Round of 16 1C vs 2D (3)
Coordinates: 23° 55′ 29″ S, 29° 28′ 8″ E
With a design inspired by the baobab tree, a common sight in Limpopo province, the new Peter Mokaba Stadium has a capacity of 45 264 seats. In a province with so many football fans and players, the stadium will certainly not go to waste once the tournament is over.
Cost: R1.24-billion (US$150-million)
World Cup matches: 4
Matches
13 June, 13h30: Algeria vs Slovenia
17 June, 20h30: France vs Mexico
22 June, 20h30: Greece vs Argentina
24 June, 16h00: Paraguay vs New Zealand
Coordinates: 25° 27′ 40″ S, 30° 55′ 44″ E
With host city Nelspruit's proximity to the Kruger National Park, Mbombela Stadium has a quirky wildlife theme, with large giraffe-shaped orange girders facing outwards on its exterior, and funky zebra stripes on the seats inside. Built from scratch, the stadium has a capacity of 43 589 seats. With giraffe-like structures reaching up to the sky supporting the roof of Mbombela stadium and construction now back on track after damage caused by a freak storm at the beginning of the year, the city of Nelspruit is gearing up for 2010. With little by the way of world class stadiums in the area, Mbombela stadium will be a great addition to the city once complete.
Cost: R1.05-billion (US$140-million)
World Cup matches: 4
Matches
16 June, 13h30: Honduras vs Chile
20 June, 16h00: Italy vs New Zealand
23 June, 20h30: Australia vs Serbia
25 June, 16h00: North Korea vs Côte d'Ivoire
The stadium was expected to cost some R600 million. Mr Makwetla, Mpumalanga's premier said that "National government has made an undertaking to provide the financial resources pertaining to the 2010 world cup infrastructure requirements". South Africa's Government has already (May 2006) allocated R242 million towards planning for the stadia.
Bulldozing of a Wetland
Because a school was situated on the site where the Mbombela Stadium was built, the school needed to be relocated. A wetland in Nelspruit was bulldozed to make way for a new temporary site for the school (no environmental impact assessment was done before the bulldozers moved into the wetland). On 15 Oct 2009 over 100 protestors gathered at the Mbombela Stadium to protest that a new school had not yet been built.
Controversies and Corruption
Allegations of corruption relating to the awarding of construction contracts in the building of the stadium have plagued the project. At least three individuals were murdered in connection with the allegations, and another three have died under mysterious circumstances. Corruption related to the construction resulted in the provincial government taking over the running of the municipaility and construction management by placing it under administration in June 2007. When the Mbombela municipality was reinstated 5 months later the outspoken new mayor also received death threats warning him to remain silent about the evidence of corruption.
In addition, as with many other South African stadiums built for the 2010 World Cup, promises of improvements to the impoverished surrounding neighborhood have not been fulfilled. Students from the local primary and high schools had to be relocated to container classrooms and the old schools used by the General Contractor. To make way for a replacement school, a wetland in Nelspruit was bulldozed, but no environmental impact assessment was done before the wetland was destroyed. In October, 2009, there was a protest at the stadium over the fact that the school had not yet been built.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbombela_Stadium
NELSPRUIT - It seems that the Mbombela Municipality is reluctant to manage the delicate wetlands and streams in town and this is leading to erosion and possibly the collapse of existing structures.
Lowvelder reported on the rows and rows of mealies and other cultivars that are being grown in the wetland between Ehmke and Ferreira streets, and Mbombela’s total lack of interest in making an immediate decision to remove these exotic aliens, claiming "these poor women" come from areas "characterised by poverty, slums and inhabitable places" and it is "our under-standing that we are not in a position now to uproot the crops but we shall wait until they harvest".
After weeks of attempting to get a straight response from Mr Rasheed Matola of Mbombela, he has still not answered a single question posed by Lowvelder regarding the restoration of this specific wetland, or if any action will be taken against the illegal planters. Matola instead sent a lengthy email describing the poor background of these lawbreakers.
But while he sympathises with them, the fact that they have taken the law into their own hands, is leading directly to greater problems for the town itself, at the cost of the ratepayer. The bridge just above where the illegal cultivars are planted, has started to collapse and according to a civil engineer this is directly due to the erosion the mealies are causing.
An independent environment consultant agrees and says, "Those mielies are cultivated exactly where natural riparian plants used to grow and we are very worried about the removal of those indigenous plants as they held the embankment together and prevented erosion. Now that they are gone, the existing structures in that area are starting to collapse as the embankment itself starts to give way."
Another huge problem of the removal of indigenous vegetation is that, if wetlands are not protected from cultivation of maize, it can have a major negative impact on the whole ecosystem of the wetland or stream. The planting of exotic species in a stream also has an impact downstream; in this case it is the Crocodile River that flows to the Kruger National Park.
According to the law for any activities within 32 metres of a river bank, there should be application for a special permit from environmental affairs, and a licence from water works.
There are various national, provincial and local government acts that protect wetlands, drainage lines, rivers or streams: The National Water Act (NWA), Act 36 of 1998, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), Act 107 of 1998, the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA), Act 43 of 1983, Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act, Act 10 of 1998 and the Mbombela Open space By-law (Draft). Various departments are responsible for enforcing the protection of wetlands: Department of Water Affairs (NWA), Department of Environment (NEMA) and Department of Agriculture (CARA), Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act) and Mbombela have to apply the open space by-law.
The question now arises; While Mbombela officials are waiting for the illegal planters to finish farming and to harvest, what will happen to the other mealies that are grown all across town? Will these planters in Johanna, Suiderkruis, The Rest, Uitkyk and Piet Retief streets, to name but a few and even in the traffic circle on Enos Mabuza Drive also be allowed to finish harvesting first?
Following Lowvelder’s enquiry several signs were erected saying "No cultivation" repeated in siSwati. But some of them have already disappeared. "We have since written a letter to the owners of the mealies informing them not to plant after the harvest," was Matola’s assurance.
http://www.lowvelder.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1201&Itemid=0
Environmental officials have given the Mbombela municipality the green light to proceed with its planned R920m World Cup stadium project outside Nelspruit. According to a report on the News24 site, the decision comes barely a month after inspectors fined the municipality R37 000 for flouting environmental laws after contractors bulldozed a wetland near the stadium site. Construction of the Mbombela Stadium has been delayed by budgetary logjams as well as other sticking points, including environmental concerns. The site of the planned 43 500-seater stadium and its surrounding precinct falls on land formerly owned by a community trust and includes an extensive wetland.
He said a consultant who had studied the area found the actual stadium site fell on "a degraded wetland" that was "not of much significance".
But, Batchelor said there were more-sensitive areas "higher up the vlei system" that would need to be monitored and protected.
He also confirmed that inspectors fined the municipality R37 000 in December after contractors cleared land to build a temporary school.
Chris Grib, chief executive of Lefika Consulting, which has been appointed by the council to design the stadium, said the municipality paid the fine "to keep the process going".
Concern about construction delays
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga has expressed concern at delays in building the stadium, saying that other than the turning of the first sod, very little major construction had started.
The Mbombela council blamed the lack of development on delays in securing the approval of the national treasury to transfer the allocated funds.
The provincial government recently expressed concern about "the general escalating trend of construction costs in the entire country, which is also affecting the Mbombela stadium project".
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the original cost estimates already have increased the projected bill by R97m, from R920m to R1.17bn, due to rising material prices, foreign exchange fluctuations, and delays in getting the project off the ground.
South African construction firm Basil Read and French firm Bouygues TP have been awarded the tender to build the stadium.
Coordinates: 29° 7′ 2.25″ S, 26° 12′ 31.85″ E
Alternate name: Vodacom Park
Home to the Cheetahs rugby team and Bloemfontein Celtic football team, Free State Stadium was built in 1952 and upgraded in 2008 to increase its capacity to 45 058 seats, as well as improve security, lighting and turnstiles.
Capacity: 45 058 seats
World Cup matches: 6
Matches
14 June, 16h00: Japan vs Cameroon
17 June, 16h00: Greece vs Nigeria
20 June, 13h30: Slovakia vs Paraguay
22 June, 16h00: France vs South Africa
25 June, 20h30: Switzerland vs Honduras
27 June, 16h00: Round of 16 1D vs 2C (4)
Stadiums for Soccer World Cup 2010
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