Work at the site for the 2010 World Cup Stadium in North End will begin shortly, following the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality's call for parties interested in clearing the site to tender.

The municipality is looking for companies to demolish and clear all the buildings and trees on the stadium site in Prince Alfred Park.

This will be followed by the construction of the 50,000-seater multi-purpose stadium.

"The buildings to be demolished include the Parks Rugby Club building and training facilities, the bowling club premises and all other buildings which are on the site of the stadium," municipal spokesman Lourens Schoeman said.

This follows the announcement by Parliament last month that the city is among those which will host officials matches in 2010.

In 2010, South Africa will become the first African country to host the soccer World Cup. It is anticipated that the stadium will cost the municipality about R700-million. Much of that money, the municipality said, will come from the provincial and national governments.

"Soon after the clearing of the site, earthworks and excavation will follow. Thereafter, the actual construction will begin," Schoeman said.

A number of companies would submit quotes for the work.

Although he did not attach any timeframes, Schoeman said everything would be done quickly as the stadium has to be ready ahead of an inspection by a Fifa delegation in 2008.

The whole country is racing to build or upgrade their stadiums.

Three stadiums in Gauteng - Soccer City, Ellis Park and Loftus Versveld - are to be upgraded, along with Royal Bafokeng in North West Province and Vodacom Park in Mangaung.

In Limpopo, the Peter Mokaba Stadium at Polokwane will be rebuilt, while a new stadium will be constructed at Mbombela in Mpumalanga, and King's Park soccer stadium will become a multi- purpose facility in Durban.

Cape Town will get a new stadium as well.

While a sector of the city's population fears that the stadium could become a white elephant after the World Cup, most people are optimistic that if well managed, the stadium could have a huge economic spin-off for the city and its people.

Eastern Province Herald
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge