Municipal officials at Nelson Mandela Metro have strongly distanced the authority from a group of Port Elizabeth business people who claim they will build a stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

On Wednesday, the Daily Dispatch established that the group - led by businessman Neville Goldman - are planning to build a multi-purpose stadium at PE's Algoa Park.

This is despite being told by the Nelson Mandela Metro to put their plans on hold.

The stadium project also includes a shopping complex.

The tension came hours after the South African Football Association (Safa), Fifa and the government named the Nelson Mandela Metro as one of the 10 host cities of the world's greatest soccer showpiece.

The municipality said a new world-class 50,000-seat stadium was in the pipeline for Prince Alfred Park in Port Elizabeth.

Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson Kupido Baron said they were not concerned about the people who went around claiming to have the rights to build the stadium.

"We are not intimidated by them," he said.

" What we know for sure is that they do not have any rights to build that stadium for 2010. The municipality has been awarded the rights and it is the municipality who will decide whom they want to use as their contractors."

Baron disclosed that a deal has been signed with a construction company BKS/KPMG which will develop the area where the stadium will be built.

Goldman said he was not willing to comment on the issue at this time.

"I will make an official statement for everyone in the media," he said.

Goldman, however, admitted that there are plans to build a stadium.

"We are not an opposition to the (Nelson Mandela) Metro," he said.

"It's simply a business venture that we feel is necessary for the people."

Baron said preparations were already on track to build their proposed stadium.

"We have already identified the area and we have removed the trees to clear that site. All we need now is to start putting the first bricks on the foundation," he said.

Nelson Mandela Bay 2010 Business Unit manager Mbulelo Gidane angrily lashed out at the group.

"I don't think we have to be debating something about people who think they can hijack the plan," he said.

"We are still celebrating after our city was named among the hosts.

"The thing is, we called these people to a meeting and we told them they must refrain from using the government's name in their bid to build a new stadium.

"But it seems they are still doing that."

Gidane added: "The Fifa delegation was happy with our plans so we will do what they wanted us to do."

Other places to get new stadiums for 2010 are Polokwane, Mbombela in Mpumalanga, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal's Ethekweni Metro, and Cape Town.

Stadiums to be refurbished and upgraded include three in Gauteng - Soccer City, Ellis Park and Loftus Versveld - as well as the Royal Bafokeng stadium in North West, and Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein.

The only province to miss out on the 2010 World Cup is the Northern Cape.

Meanwhile, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has appealed to both East London and Mthatha to assist the city in making the 2010 World Cup an event to remember.

"All I want to say to them is: be ready.

"The spotlight will be on us. They must gear up for the games," Gidane said.

"It's not a Port Elizabeth victory but an Eastern Cape one. We are all supposed to celebrate. Now is the time for all of the big cities in the province to work together and pull a collective weight towards making the games a success."

"We will also work hard in ensuring that East London get to host one of the big teams during the event. After all, they are out immediate neighbours," Gidane said.

The Buffalo City Municipality has not revealed what it plans to do for the games.

Both East London and Mthatha are hopeful of being used as training and camping venues during the event.

Last year in December, World Cup Local Organising Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan promised that East London would be amongst the training venues.

However, the Buffalo City Municipality was left agitated as they also had their eyes fixed on the hefty slice of the cake - getting the host city status.

But it was later revealed that the city had failed to submit a bid book to both Safa and Fifa.

Daily Dispatch
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge