Government to brief media on the FIFA 2010 World Cup progress

22 June 2010

Government Spokesperson, Mr Themba Maseko, will on Thursday, 24 June brief the media on the progress of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and other issues related to the tournament.

The briefing will take place as follows:

Date: Thursday, 24 June 2010
Time: 10h00
Venue: Gauteng International Media and Tour Centre, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton

Members of the media wishing to attend are requested to forward their names to:
Professor Ndawonde
Cell: 078 845 7409
E-mail: proffesor@gcis.gov.za

David Masango
Cell: 083 279 7520
E-mail: davidm@gcis.gov.za

For media enquiries contact:
Pheliswa Sebati
Cell: 082 413 4609
Email: pheliswa@gcis.gov.za

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
22 June 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup Portugal vs Korea DPR

Watch your team go for glory in the Mother City! The 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Portugal and Korea DPR kicks off at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium on Monday 21 June 2010, 13:30. Start blowing your vuvuzela when your team makes a killer pass. Eish!

The professional season in South Africa is between August and May with teams participating in the Premier Soccer League and a few other competitions. The Chiefs and the Pirates have a nationwide following and their contests are a colourful climax of the Premier Soccer League’s matches. South Africa’s national squad, affectionately nicknamed Bafana Bafana qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals and will have the privilege of competing in the 2010 World Cup on home soil.
Vuvuzela? Contributing to the jovial atmosphere of South Africa's football games are the unique sounds of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn, along with singing and countless other homemade instruments.
You don't know how to do the Diski Dance? Learn football and learn some funky township moves at the same time...

Where	Green Point
When	2010/06/21 01:30 pm to 03:30 pm
Venue	Cape Town Stadium

2010 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Ivory Coast

Watch your team go for glory in Jozi! Johannesburg, Joburg, Jozi, eGoli, City of Gold - this vibrant city is widely accepted to be the economic powerhouse of Africa. Soccer City is where the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off and where the final whistle will blow! Its also the stadium where the match begins between Brazil and the Ivory Coast at 20:30 on Sunday the 20th of June 2010. Start blowing your vuvuzela when your team makes a killer pass. Eish!

Where	Nasrec
When	2010/06/20 08:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Venue	Soccer City
Gauteng is the spirit and core of South African football and all the big clubs share the same grounds, which has created quite a different fan culture to that of devotees in Europe. The big teams from Soweto are Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates whose spirited games can be hot-blooded and usually have the nation gripped. Soweto football crowds are good-humoured and festive so joining them is quite conceivable and fun. The professional season in South Africa is between August and May with teams participating in the Premier Soccer League and a few other competitions. The Chiefs and the Pirates have a nationwide following and their contests are a colourful climax of the Premier Soccer League’s matches. South Africa’s national squad, affectionately nicknamed Bafana Bafana qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals and will have the privilege of competing in the 2010 World Cup on home soil. Vuvuzela? Contributing to the jovial atmosphere of South Africa's football games are the unique sounds of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn, along with singing and countless other homemade instruments. You don't know how to do the Diski Dance? Learn football and learn some funky township moves at the same time...

2010 FIFA World Cup Italy vs New Zealand

Where	Nelspruit
When	2010/06/20 04:00 pm to 06:00 pm
Venue	Mbombela Stadium
Watch your team go for glory in Mpumalanga, the place where the sun rises! The 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Italy and New Zealand kicks off in Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium at 16:00 on Sunday 20 June 2010. Start blowing your vuvuzela when your team makes a killer pass. Eish! The professional season in South Africa is between August and May with teams participating in the Premier Soccer League and a few other competitions. The Chiefs and the Pirates have a nationwide following and their contests are a colourful climax of the Premier Soccer League’s matches. South Africa’s national squad, affectionately nicknamed Bafana Bafana qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals and will have the privilege of competing in the 2010 World Cup on home soil. Vuvuzela? Contributing to the jovial atmosphere of South Africa's football games are the unique sounds of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn, along with singing and countless other homemade instruments.

2010 FIFA World Cup Slovakia vs Paraguay

Watch your team go for glory in the golden Free State! The 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Slovakia and Paraguay kicks off in Mangaung/Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium at 13:30 on Sunday 20 June 2010. Start blowing your vuvuzela when your team makes a killer pass. Eish!

Where Bloemfontein When 2010/06/20 01:30 pm to 03:30 pm Venue Free State Stadium The professional season in South Africa is between August and May with teams participating in the Premier Soccer League and a few other competitions. The Chiefs and the Pirates have a nationwide following and their contests are a colourful climax of the Premier Soccer League’s matches. South Africa’s national squad, affectionately nicknamed Bafana Bafana qualified for the 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals and will have the privilege of competing in the 2010 World Cup on home soil. Vuvuzela? Contributing to the jovial atmosphere of South Africa's football games are the unique sounds of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn, along with singing and countless other homemade instruments. So what's the diski dance all about? Check out South African Afro-Electronica supergroup Goldfish learn how to do the Diski Dance. Contact Person Contact Details   Event website www.fifa.com

Bloemfontein is sort of the Cinderella city of South Africa. It's stuck out there on the N1 between Cape Town and Johannesburg. It has no Table Mountain, no ocean, and no big-city vibe. And no rush hour traffic, no road rage and no urban sprawl. It's just a nice little city in the middle of the country. The name, Bloemfontein, means Spring of Flowers - a rather pretty name that it does actually live up to. The city is planted with thousands of rose bushes, which makes for a fabulously colourful roadside display. A small nature reserve, strangely enough called Naval Hill, right in the middle of the city carries the green theme a bit further.(more...)

World Cup's going great, says Ministers

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18 June 2010

The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile and the Deputy Minister, Mr Gert Oosthuizen expressed their satisfaction with the way the 2010 World Cup was proceeding. They expressed their views during a press conference hosted at the International Football Village in Boksburg recently.

They also gave an update on the governmental guarantees given to FIFA when South Africa won the hosting bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, expressing their satisfaction that all guarantees were being honoured, especially those regarding security.

"The few incidents that happened can occur anywhere at any time," the Minister said. They also expressed their continued and unwavering support for Bafana Bafana and made a call for all South Africans to do so as well.

The Minister also thanked the media for being magnanimous in their reporting of the World Cup, saying that the majority of reports written were popular.

After the press conference they visited the Ke Nako Africa exhibition area, where Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) has a stand together with its sport development partner GTZ, and watched children being taught ball skills.

At the SRSA stand the Ministers took time to sit with several young people and discuss sport issues, especially in their home towns and areas. A common complaint was that sport facilities were being used for social events, rather than sport activities.

The International Football Village is open until the end of the World Cup and features food and drink stands, big screens for game watching, live music acts and activities for kids.

Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
18 June 2010
Source: Sport and Recreation South Africa (http://www.srsa.gov.za)

Leave your car at home and use public transport

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18 June 2010

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele today, Friday, 18 June 2010 called on South Africans to add convenience to their lives by using public transport for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"One of the key elements in determining a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup is the use of public transport, which will significantly reduce congestion on the roads and assist fans to arrive in good time for games.

As government, over the past four years, we have invested a staggering R40 billion in a new and improved, safe and reliable public transport system in anticipation of the current football spectacle. Every stadium is accessible via public transport buses, taxis or trains. There are even dedicated lanes for buses and mini-buses on which private vehicles are not allowed to travel.

"It is commonly known that one of the contributing factors to a successful FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 was the widespread use of public transport. Over the years, football fans have used public transport during FIFA World Cup games in various parts of the world.

"FIFA World Cup matches must adhere to the highest standards of security, while contributing to a good football experience for all fans. This will differ in various countries. Using public transport in South Africa provides an ideal opportunity for fans to form and cement common experiences across borders in Africa and the rest of the world. So we say to South Africans, get out of your nice cars, use public transport! Get out of your nice cars, meet our visitors and make them feel at home!

"The FIFA World Cup is a massive event. For a city such as Johannesburg, traffic congestion is part of everyday life. If we want to move an additional 90 000 people through our roads into Soccer City, is it feasible to have 90 000 additional vehicles making their way to Soccer City?

"We simply cannot afford to have even 50 000 more cars carrying 90 000 people travelling to Soccer City in Johannesburg. We cannot even afford to have a queue of 30 000 more cars snaking its way hours before kick-off all the way from Pretoria past the Johannesburg city centre along the M1 trying to get into Soccer City.

"So let us leave our cars at home and jump onto a bus, taxi or take a train to the stadium! Life will never be the same again. Let us say this again: Let us add convenience to our lives and experience public transport during this World Cup. Our system is successfully transporting spectators from all operational hubs in host cities directly to the stadiums.

This is why the stadiums are full. By all accounts, from the majority of visitors and locals who have used our system so far, public transport remains the most convenient way of travelling to the FIFA World Cup 2010 matches," said Minister Ndebele.

Holders of World Cup tickets travel free with Metrorail to and from stations in the vicinity of the stadium. Ticket holders are therefore advised to visit http://www.prasa.com or call the Metrorail Customer Care line on 0800 12 7070 to avoid delays and frustrations due to congestion on the roads.

An inter-provincial and regional road transport system which comprises luxury buses and midi-buses has been put in place for the tournament. Spectators using this service are guaranteed to arrive at the stadiums at least two hours before the match. Drop-offs are between 100 and 800 metres to the stadium. From Gauteng, there will be a service for all games in Rustenburg, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Bloemfontein, which will bring people back to Gauteng straight after the game.

Tickets can be obtained from http://www.strictlytickets.com or 011 245 8611. Various travelling options are also available at http://www.2010findyourway.co.za.

Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050

Sello Tshipi
Communications
Tel: 012 309 3846
Fax: 012 309 3313
Cell: 073 498 6722
E-mail: Tshipia@dot.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Transport
18 June 2010

Government calls on South Africans to continue being good hosts

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17 June 2010

Government appeals to the nation to continue rallying behind the country's hosting of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko says: "We are still in the initial stages of the tournament. And this is not the time to pull back, regardless of the disappointment we may feel after Bafana Bafana's loss to Uruguay on 16 June 2010".

"The success of the tournament is dependent on our hospitality as a host nation. After all, this is still our world cup. It is upon us to make it a success," says Maseko.

Fan parks and public viewing areas will still be open to the public, free of charge, throughout the tournament. Government calls on South Africans to continue making use to these facilities.

"Since the opening game on 11 June 2010, South Africans have heeded the call to be good hosts, coming out in numbers to create a thrilling atmosphere for the tournament. We need to continue doing this, irrespective of Bafana Bafana's performance.”

All nine host cities have in place 2010 World Cup transport plans with a public transport focus, these are supported by park and rides as well as park and walks.

Fans are encouraged to plan their trips in advance to the stadiums, fan parks and public viewing areas. Those going to these venues should arrive preferably at least three hours before kick-off. Fans are therefore encouraged to use these facilities.

Enquiries:
Themba Maseko
Cell: 083 645 0810

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
17 June 2010

Park and ride and road closures

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Park and ride and road closures for the New Zealand and Slovakia match

15 June 2010

Park and ride facilities for the New Zealand-Slovakia 2010 FIFA Football match to be played on Tuesday at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium will open at 8h00.

Road closures will affect the intersections at the N4 and Waterfall Mall on-ramp, the Nelson Mandela Drive and Lefaragatlhe, the Nelson Mandela Drive and R565 Boshoek/Sun City Road, the R565 Boshoek/Sun City and Phokeng Post Office, Lefaragatlhe and Lemenong Road and the Uncle Tom and Phokeng Post Office.

Motorists travelling from Pretoria and Johannesburg for all matches to be played at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium are advised not to go through the Rustenburg town but to remain on the N4. Signage will lead them to the western bypass and the R104 North Rietvlei and R565 Phokeng North, park and rides.

North West MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa appeals to motorists not to park their vehicles randomly in and around Phokeng and Rustenburg but to use the park and ride facilities. Vehicles left parked at unauthorised venues or left unattended will be towed away and impounded.

Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Public Safety, North West Provincial Government
15 June 2010

The public to be energy efficient

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Minister of Energy, Ms Dipuo Peters appeals to the public to be energy efficient so as to keep the lights on

15 June 2010

The 2010 FIFA World Cup has commenced on 11 July 2010 at the Soccer City Stadium and since then many games have been played and we can proudly state that as a country we have adhered to our commitment of ensuring that we host a successful World Cup.

We are satisfied that at all the stadiums where the games were played, we did not experience any electricity interruptions, but more importantly that millions of our people where able to watch games at their homes and fan parks and other public viewing areas with very little electricity interruptions.

This positive outcome thus far can be attributed to the adequate preparations by all our stakeholders within the energy space, particularly Eskom, municipalities and our communities’ active participation in relation to our energy efficiency initiative.

We therefore urge our communities and the public at large to continuously reduce their consumption of electricity and thus ensuring that ESKOM and other role-players are able to keep the lights on. It is imperative for consumers (users of electricity) to ensure that whilst utility is responding to energy challenges wherever they are, that they keep their consumption low.

Of further concern to us are continued the reports of cable and electricity theft. Such criminal practices do not only hamper the provision of electricity, they also expose our communities (especially our children) to dangerous and hazardous conditions this may lead to injury and loss of life. This is highly unacceptable. Those who continue to be involved in efforts intended to undermine the efficient provision of electricity will meet the full might of the law, especially considering this crucial period of the World Cup that is upon us.

Ensuring increased access to energy (electricity included) in poor communities remains the top priority of the minister.

Enquiries:
Zodwa Batyashe
Cell: 082 455 9796
E-mail: Zodwa.batyashe@energy.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Energy
15 June 2010

Who or What is Barra Bravo

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Barra brava is a name for organized supporter groups of football teams in Latin America. This style of supporting is very similar to European ultras. It includes standing throughout the match, singing and other enthusiastic behavior. Some barras bravas have developed reputations for hooliganism. The phenomenon originated in Argentina and Uruguay in the 50s and 60s, but it has spread throughout the Americas in the 90s. In Brazil, the organized torcida plays a similar role and in México both the term barras and porras are used.
from Wikipedia

Eleventh ‘Barrabrava’ refused entry to South Africa

9 June 2010

On Tuesday, 8 June 2010 an identified Argentinean football hooligan was
refused entry into South Africa when he landed at OR Tambo Airport from
Sao Paulo, Brazil at approximately 08h30.

Ongoing cooperation between international law enforcement agencies based
in South Africa for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the
South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as cooperation between the
SAPS and the Department of Home Affairs, has to date resulted in 11
'barrasbravas' being prohibited from entering this country.

Intelligence indicated that these persons would commit acts of public
disorder, engage in acts of violence and provoke conflict with certain
fans of opponent teams and other groups from Argentina during the 2010
FIFA World Cup. They are known to have a history of being involved in
crime and antagonising local law enforcement agencies.

The 11th barrabrava was detained at holding facilities at OR Tambo
airport and will be repatriated today.

Enquiries:
Brigadier Sally de Beer
Cell: 082 779 8658

Colonel Charmaine Muller
Tel: 012 314 3687

Issued by: Ministry of Police
9 June 2010
Source: Ministry of Police (http://www.saps.gov.za/)

Gauteng provincial government employees to get half day off

8 June 2010

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has decided to give government
employees half day off on Friday, 11 June 2010 so that they are able to
participate in the activities of the opening ceremony and kick off of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

On Friday, 11 June 2010 all eyes and ears of the world will be focused
on Gauteng as the world's greatest sporting spectacle, the 2010 FIFA
World, kicks off. Millions of South Africans, many of them residing in
Gauteng, will converge at Soccer City and other public venues to be part
of history as the first 2010 FIFA World Cup on the African continent
gets under way.

This day will in many respects be a very special one for all South
Africans and other fans who came to South Africa from other parts of the
world to be part of the historic football event. No South African would
want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.

All Gauteng provincial government employees, except those who are
involved in the rendering of essential services, will be allowed to
leave work at 12h00 on Friday, 11 June 2010.

The Gauteng provincial government has engaged with several organisations
including Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), the Banking Council of
South Africa and the National African Federation Chamber of Commerce
(NAFCOC), who all have indicated that they will be implementing special
measures in recognition of this special day.

The premier expresses appreciation of this gesture and appeals to all
other employers in Gauteng to take special measures to allow their
employees to be part of the world cup festivities.

The Gauteng government wishes to urge all fans to travel early to the
stadium, fan parks and public viewing areas so that they arrive on time.
Fans should be seated at least an hour before the start of the opening
ceremony.

The government has arranged various modes of public transport to ferry
fans to and from the stadium and other public venues. Private vehicles
will not be allowed anywhere near the stadium or other public venues.

Government urges all the people of Gauteng to welcome all the guests
with warm arms and show them all the beauty of this province.

Lastly our support for Bafana-Bafana will give them strength and courage
to do well in the tournament.

Enquiries:
Thabo Masebe
Cell: 082 410 8087

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
8 June 2010

FIFA 2010 Green Goal

8 June 2010

Three days before the kick-off of one of the greatest global sport events on the planet, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a major initiative to green the world cup and help reduce carbon emissions was launched in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The initiative is a result of a partnership between the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Environment Programme and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs.

The initiative includes three major greening projects: renewable energy interventions in six world cup host cities, an awareness raising drive on green tourism both funded by GEF, and a UNEP programme to offset the carbon emissions of eleven world cup teams.

Supported by United States $1 million in GEF funding, one major project is the greening of public street lights, traffic lights and billboards around the stadiums of six host cities: City of Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg Metropolitan municipality, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan municipality (Port Elizabeth), Polokwane local municipality, Rustenburg local municipality and Mangaung local municipality (Bloemfontein).

Twelve billboards, two in each city, will switch to solar power, along with 60 traffic lights and 78 streetlights across the six host cities.

Another is the Green Passport project, which aims to encourage visitors to make responsible travel choices whilst visiting South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The "passport", a 32 page booklet packed with greening tips and information on responsible tourism in each host city, will be distributed to 100 000 world cup spectators.
(www.greenpassport.co.za)

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in South Africa, in liaison with the Department of Energy, Department of Tourism, Central Energy Fund, Eskom and the Local Organising Committee (LOC), has identified five carbon offset projects in order to assist towards offsetting travellers' emissions. The projects include:

* Solar Cookers, by Sunfire Solutions
* Soil Composting, by Soil and More Reliance
* Local Economic Development (LED) Energy Efficient Lighting Retrofit programme, by Lemnis Lighting
* Wind Energy, by Mainstream and
* Domestic Fire Lighting (Basa nge Magogo project), by the Nova Institute.

The identified offset projects will be attached to a carbon calculator, which will enable travellers to calculate and offset their emissions against an offset project of his or her choice.

Buyelwa Sonjica, South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs said: "Whilst we welcome the world, South Africa's hosting of the world cup must leave a legacy for the people of South Africa. As the environment sector, we want part of the legacy to be a green legacy.

"In this regard, we have initiated several programmes as part of this green legacy which should benefit South Africans from all walks of life, now, and continue beyond the moment when visitors leave our shores".

Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "We are proud to work with GEF and the government of South Africa, the host of this year's world cup, to assist in greening one of the greatest sporting events on Earth.

"The aim is to demonstrate that all sectors of society including major sporting events can catalyse a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy. And in doing so make the players, officials and millions of fans around the world inspired to be part of a winning sustainability team".

"Events like the world cup present a unique opportunity to showcase environmentally sound technologies and practices," said Monique Barbut, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the GEF.

"Our work with South Africa and UNEP to boost the level of renewable power generated in the six cities supporting the games will have a lasting local and global environmental impact long after the last whistle blows".

Finally, under the initiative's umbrella, eleven teams have announced they will offset the emissions caused by their participation in the event. The teams, whose offset is sponsored by PUMA are Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Uruguay, Italy and Switzerland.

Meanwhile; Chile, England, Republic of Korea and Serbia have also committed to offsetting their emissions and UNEP hopes more countries will follow suit by the start of the tournament on 11 June.

The teams' carbon footprint includes international flights to and from South Africa, domestic flights and coaches to and from group matches for teams and officials, and accommodation in hotels, a total of approximately 6 050 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The greening project, entitled "Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Major Sporting Events, FIFA 2010 and the Green Goal", aims to leave a lasting legacy that will be continued by the city municipalities post the tournament to save energy consumption by adopting renewable energy and energy efficiency practices as illustrated by solar retro-fits.

This project forms part of the South African government's national greening framework.

Notes to editors

* Following the world cup, UNEP will conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment to review how key environmental issues have been addressed by the tournament organisers and compile experiences and lessons learned.

The host cities' green efforts will also be assessed in order to ascertain how greening solutions were delivered and to what extent they have been successfully implemented.

* An SMS campaign has been initiated in partnership with business, Foneworx and KPMG in order to generate funds towards offsetting of the 2010 Carbon Footprint.

* Details of the SMS campaign are as follows: Show your support for the 2010 Carbon Offset programme. SMS "GOGREEN" to 34066. SMS charged at R2.00. Free SMS do not apply. This campaign is only active in South Africa.

* Eskom, a partner to the greening initiative confirmed it will donate the green portion of its existing green energy generated from 11 June 2010 until 11 July 2010, in an effort to reduce the 2010 Carbon Footprint.

Eskom also confirmed that its power pool partners: Cahora Basa, LEC and SNEL, who are member utilities of the Southern African Power Pool, will take part in this initiative.

* During 2008, the carbon footprint was calculated at 2,753 million tonnes of CO2 emissions as a result of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The domestic footprint is estimated at 896 000 tones of CO2 whereas the emissions resulting from international travel has been estimated at 1,857 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

Links to documents:

Fact sheet available at: http://www.environment.gov.za//Documents/Publications/2010Jun8/FACTSHeet.pdf

Speech by acting Chief Operations Officer of Department of Environmental Affairs is available at:
http://www.environment.gov.za//NewsMedia/Speeches/2010Jun8/SPEECH%20for%20COO.pdf

Carbon offsetting information is available at:
http://www.environment.gov.za//NewsMedia/MedStat/2010Jun8_1/CARBONoffset.pdf

For media enquiries contact:

Shereen Zorba
Cell: +254 713 601 259
E-mail: shereen.zorba@unep.org

Albi Modise
Tel: +27 12 310 3122
Cell: +27 83 490 2871
E-mail: amodise@environment.gov.za

Maureen Lorenzetti
Tel + 1 202 352 3572
E-mail: mlorenzetti@thegef.org

Leanne Emery
Cell: +27 82 302 9460

Tracey Cooper
Cell: +27 83 703 5869

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
8 June 2010

Soccer terminology in South African languages for 2010 and beyond

9 June 2010

As part of government’s efforts to promote national identity and social cohesion, the Department of Arts and Culture embarked on a consultative process to develop soccer terminology in South African languages in 2009.

The soccer terminology booklet has been finalised and is available on the department’s website: http://www.dac.gov.za.

Since South Africa is hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup, the project will promote multilingualism in the field of sports and contribute to generate the much-needed enthusiasm around the World Cup.

For more information on the booklet please contact:
Mr Solly Mnisi
Tel: 012 441 3851
E-mail: solly.mnisi@dac.gov.za

Media enquiries:
Eric Mudzanani
Cell: 082 940 0927

Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
9 June 2010

‘vuvu’ Wednesday

Tomorrow is 'vuvu' Wednesday at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)

8 June 2010

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will join millions of South Africans on Wednesday, 9 June 2010 in what has been named the 'vuvuzela moment'.

Tomorrow at 12h00 for exactly five minutes, IEC staff at national office in Pretoria will stand outside Election House in Walker Street and blow their vuvuzelas in support of the 2010 World Cup.

The commission, senior management and staff welcome all soccer visitors to South Africa and hope they will enjoy this first soccer spectacular on African soil, and of course we wish Bafana Bafana an excellent tournament.

Ke Nako – the time is now!

Enquiries:
Kate Bapela
Cell: 082 600 6386

Issued by: Independent Electoral Commission
8 June 2010

15 750 suspected counterfeit jersey’s detained at Kopfontein Border Post,

Pretoria
8 June 2010

South African Revenue Service customs officials at Kopfontein Border Post detained 15 750 suspected counterfeit Bafana Bafana jerseys. The consignment valued at R9,43 million was detained at the border post with Botswana after an inspection was conducted as a result of mis-declaration (declared as shoes) to SARS Customs.

The truck was carrying 126 bales each containing 125 suspected counterfeit shirts. Each of the shirts had a R599 price tag and was destined for Gauteng. Customs officials have also detained the truck carrying the goods, which will form part of the SARS Customs investigation.

Last week, SARS Customs operating at Lebombo Border post with Mozambique detained 602 counterfeit Bafana Bafana jerseys with a value of R360 598 after the truck driver did not declare them to SARS. The driver was fined by officials and the counterfeit jerseys detained.

The change in methods to smuggle illicit goods into the country by road transport via our neighbouring states was anticipated and SARS customs has put in place additional measures to deal with these attempts.

SARS continues to urge members of the public to report any suspicious trading activity on our toll free Anti Corruption and Fraud Hotline on 0800 00 28 70.

Issued by: South African Revenue Service
8 June 2010
Source: South African Revenue Service (http://www.sars.gov.za)

Soccer fans to arrive early at match venues

8 June 2010

Gauteng transport MEC, Bheki Nkosi, has urged soccer fans to arrive early at match venues to assist the easy flow of traffic. The MEC said this after having been on board the Gautrain this morning to have first hand impression on the train's readiness level, from the commuter perspective.

"As we approach the official kick-off on Friday, we are confident of the ability and capacity of our transport arrangements to meet the demands and expectations of the fans moving to and from, in and around Gauteng swiftly.

"It is with this confidence in mind that we urge all the fans going to the stadiums and the public viewing areas or fan parks to make sure that they arrive on time at all these venues."

Metrorail has availed 19 dedicated train sets that will service fans to and from the three match venues in Gauteng (Soccer City, Coca Cola Park and Loftus) between Johannesburg and Tshwane.

The Johannesburg Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fleet of 149 busses will also be running a special service for the games between Coca Cola Park and Soccer City and to the Johannesburg fan parks

Taxis will also be operating around Gauteng as well as at our park 'n ride facilities.

MEC Nkosi's message to the fans:

* Ensure that you are seated in the stadium an hour before kick-off.

Fans are urged to start moving to the venues as early as 11h00 for an afternoon game and to start moving as early as 16h00 for the match that starts in the evening. This will allow our transport arrangement to service everyone smoothly without the anxiety or frustration.

* Use public transport to minimise traffic congestion on our roads.

Make use of our improved rail service; get onto a taxi to the park 'n ride, use the BRT system, share a ride with friends or walk from the park 'n ride facilities to the match venue.

Everything we do, let us give ourselves enough time to be able to arrive early at the venues.

For more information, contact:
Philemon Motshwaedi
Tel: 011 355 7466
Cell: 083 648 6870
E-mail: Philemon.motshwaedi@gauteng.gov.za

Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
8 June 2010

Government on final stretch to 2010 World Cup

(picture source)

4 June 2010

South Africa today, Friday 4 June 2010 entered the final stretch towards its hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup when Deputy President and Acting President Kgalema Motlanthe, on behalf of all South Africans, accepted the Fifa World Cup trophy from FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The handing over of the trophy to South Africa coincided with a country-wide celebration of the ultimate Football Friday before the World Cup kicks-off on 11 June 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Football Friday was activated in October 2009 in an attempt to mobilise the country to unite behind South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup and the National Team. South Africans were encouraged to Fly the Flag and learn the National Anthem as well as the country’s dance for the World Cup, the diski.

Government is pleased to say that the response by the people of South Africa to this campaign has been overwhelming. As the final Football Friday is being celebrated, it has become football. Every day, the South African flag is being flown with pride on of top vehicles, buildings and just waved in the streets and the country is vibrating to the beat of the diski dance together with the rendition of various World Cup songs.

Deputy President Motlanthe, upon receiving the trophy today said South Africa’s hosting of the tournament represented a "turning point in the history of the world" because it was the first time the World Cup is coming to Africa and that preparations thus far had shown how much South
Africans could achieve by working together.

The World Cup is here, we are ready. Ke Nako.

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
4 June 2010

Government on final stretch to 2010 World Cup

4 June 2010

South Africa today, Friday 4 June 2010 entered the final stretch towards
its hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup when Deputy President and Acting
President Kgalema Motlanthe, on behalf of all South Africans, accepted
the Fifa World Cup trophy from FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the Union
Buildings in Pretoria.

The handing over of the trophy to South Africa coincided with a
country-wide celebration of the ultimate Football Friday before the
World Cup kicks-off on 11 June 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Football Friday was activated in October 2009 in an attempt to mobilise
the country to unite behind South Africa's hosting of the World Cup and
the National Team. South Africans were encouraged to Fly the Flag and
learn the National Anthem as well as the country's dance for the World
Cup, the diski.

Government is pleased to say that the response by the people of South
Africa to this campaign has been overwhelming. As the final Football
Friday is being celebrated, it has become football. Every day, the South
African flag is being flown with pride on of top vehicles, buildings and
just waved in the streets and the country is vibrating to the beat of
the diski dance together with the rendition of various World Cup songs.

Deputy President Motlanthe, upon receiving the trophy today said South
Africa's hosting of the tournament represented a "turning point in the
history of the world" because it was the first time the World Cup is
coming to Africa and that preparations thus far had shown how much South
Africans could achieve by working together.

The World Cup is here, we are ready. Ke Nako.

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
4 June 2010

President Zuma welcomes FIFA family to South Africa

1 June 2010

President Jacob Zuma will deliver a keynote address at a gala dinner hosted by the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) to officially welcome the FIFA dignitaries to the first FIFA World Cup on the African soil.

The event will take place as follows:

Date: 7 June 2010
Time: 18h30 for 19h00
Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand

Members of the media wishing to attend are requested to RSVP with the undersigned by end of business on Thursday, 3 June 2010:

Nelson Kgwete
Tel: 012 314 2162
Cell: 076 608 8567
E-mail: nelsonk@gcis.gov.za

Shadi Baloyi
Tel: 012 314 2808
Cell: 076 946 7136
E-mail: shadib@gcis.gov.za

NB: The following details are required for accreditation: full names, media house and ID/passport number.

For enquiries, please contact:
Manase Makwela
Cell: 082 782 1759
E-mail: manase@srsa.gov.za

Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
1 June 2010

launch of the Sci-Bono Science of Soccer Exhibition

Address by the Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom, at the launch of the Sci-Bono Science of Soccer Exhibition

28 May 2010

Programme director
Gauteng Education MEC, Ms Barbara Creecy
Mr David Kramer, Sci-Bono CEO
Representatives of the Gauteng Education Department
Representatives of the French, German and Italian Embassies
Representatives of various sponsors
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

I'm glad to be here joining in a slightly different "Football Friday" event. With all of us firmly in the grip of football fever as the World Cup kick-off gets nearer, it's good to see the science fraternity embracing the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup tournament and using its positive vibe to awaken young people's interest in science.

I'm also enthusiastic about the way the Academy of Science of South Africa covered the science of soccer in the latest issue of quest. The magazine is distributed free of charge to high schools throughout the country, so I hope that the soccer connection will grab the attention of learners. Even if they merely grasp that there's a connection between sport and science this will be of value, as people in general need a better understanding of the fact that science is relevant to their lives.

Getting learners to see that science is not confined to the laboratory or classroom is a vital part of encouraging them to study science and mathematics at school and go on to do tertiary studies and enter careers in related fields. Showing them the complex physics behind the mystery of "trick" or "bending" free kicks in soccer will do just that. The joint scientific research work by the University of Sheffield's Sports Engineering Research Group, Yamagata University's Sports Science Laboratory and Fluent sheds some light on the kicks that fool defenders and goal keepers by changing their direction in mid-flight as used by Jomo Sono during his days as a player at Orlando Pirates and Jomo Cosmos.

Even once the excitement of the FIFA World Cup tournament has come and gone, this exhibition will continue to help our learners and their parents relate more enthusiastically to science.

It might not get quite as much media coverage as the Soccer World Cup, but in September 2011 South Africa will play host to another important international event the sixth Science Centre World Congress in Cape Town. The local science centre community must make sure they extract as many benefits as possible from the Congress so that it leaves its mark on South Africa too.

Finding user-friendly approaches for raising science awareness in a culturally diverse country like South Africa is a challenge. But South Africa is a sports-crazy nation, and perhaps the use of sport as a vehicle for communicating science, especially to young people, should be explored further. What about rugby and cricket?

In the Eastern Cape, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University will be hosting the second World Conference on Science and Soccer on 8 and 9 June 2010 under the auspices of the World Commission of Science and Sports, which promotes sport-specific scientific research and encourages international cooperation in the field of sport science.

While soccer can be used to enhance our understanding of mathematics and science, these two disciplines can also be used to improve our understanding of the game. I am pleased that South Africa has contributed in this area. The Sports Technology Centre of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, commonly known as Soccerstat, has developed a computerised notational analysis system to evaluate the performance of a soccer team. The tool was used to evaluate the performance of teams competing in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and it helped us to establish scientifically that Bafana Bafana was poor in converting potential opportunities into goals.

This soccer exhibition has been designed especially for the South African situation and its travelling components will be taken to other science centres across the country. There are currently 20 centres involved in the promotion of science and science education in the country. The majority of these are emerging and still require a lot of developmental support, particularly in the area of interactive science exhibits. The Department of Science and Technology decided in 2009 that, in addition to other forms of support to the science centres, at least R500 000 a year should be contributed towards the development of mobile exhibits, which will be of particular benefit to emerging, under-resourced centres.

International support has greatly enhanced South Africa's efforts to develop science centres. For instance, in 2009, Australia helped us train five local science centre officials towards a graduate certificate in the theory and practice of science centres. Today, I would like to thank the German government for their generous support in the development of this soccer exhibition.

In South Africa sports seem to bring out the best in us. Just last Saturday, rugby brought large numbers of white people into Soweto for the first time and the welcome they got has done great things for nation building. I hope that this soccer exhibition will do as much for skills development and public understanding of science.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
28 May 2010
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za/)

Science of soccer exhibition kickoff!

27 May 2010

The Deputy Minister for Science and Technology Mr Derek Hanekom and the Gauteng MEC for Education Ms Barbara Creecy will launch the Science of Soccer Exhibition, the world’s first completely soccer-themed science exhibition. The launch will take place at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown Johannesburg on Friday, 28 May.

Eleven ‘hands-on, feet-on, minds-on’ exhibits custom built in South Africa will be opened to the public at the launch this Friday. All media are invited to play science and learn soccer.

Event details:
Date: 28 May 2010
Time: 13h30
Venue: Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Miriam Makeba Street between Jeppe and President Streets, Newtown, Johannesburg

For more information contact:
Charles Phahlane
Tel: 011 355 1530
Cell: 071 860 4496

Thandi O’Hagan
Tel: 011 639 8428
Cell: 082 450 3356

Issued by: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government
27 May 2010
Source: Department of Education, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.education.gpg.gov.za/)