By Max Matavire

The 2010 Soccer World Cup organising committee volunteer programme must not be viewed as a job creation project, so communities must not start harbouring employment opportunity expectations.

This warning was sounded by Nelson Mandela Bay‘s human resources and corporate administration committee yesterday when it was discussing the soccer event‘s volunteer programme.

The committee noted that expectations were already high in communities as people anticipated being employed.

Committee chairman Helen August called on councillors to start communicating this message to their constituencies now so that by 2010 communities would not be disappointed when they were asked to give their services free.

"It must be made clear to our communities that the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee volunteer programme is not an extension of the expanded public works programme," she said.

"Councillors and members of the local organising committee must start now to relay that message to our communities before expectations, which in some quarters are already there, start running high. The municipal constituency office must also assist in this regard," August said.

Newly confirmed human resources and corporate administration executive director Rio Noluthsungu also said host cities must not use the volunteer programme as a job creation project.

"People must be willing to do it free, and be proud that they are participating towards the successful hosting of the event which is being held in Africa for the first time. People‘s participation must give effect to the country delivering a successful World Cup," Noluthsungu said.

He said the first volunteer intake would be for the Confederation Cup in 2009. "These will be volunteers, not employees. Maybe what we should be looking for is that the local organising committee arrange for some form of insurance in case of accidents during the performance of their duties," he said.

The Herald