Zille denies 2010 'blunder'

20 December 2006

Cape Town - Cape Town mayor Helen Zille on Wednesday evening rejected a claim by Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool that the city has committed a major procedural blunder over the proposed Green Point 2010 stadium.

An angry Rasool earlier in the day called on Zille to summon an urgent council meeting to rectify what he said was an error threatening the already-fragile construction timetable for the R2.5bn project.

He told journalists that instead of itself giving formal consent for the building of the stadium, the council had incorrectly referred the decision to provincial planning MEC Tasneem Essop.

This had accompanied its application for rezoning from "public open space" to "community facilities".

He said the matter would now have to go to the council for consent, followed by a 21-day period for objections, and only then could Essop to consider the zoning.

"I am... dismayed that the City of Cape Town has either misread the law or that they have allowed incompetence into the process, so much so, that we now have this delay," Rasool said.

"This mistake should never have happened in the first place."

'Act of bad faith'

However, Zille told Sapa that the council had in fact approved the construction, but made it conditional on Essop's granting of the rezoning.

It was done this way because of legal opinion that granting permission for the construction before the rezoning and its appeals had been dealt with could be seen as pre-empting the outcome of that process, and an act of bad faith.

"I suggest that the premier and minister Essop be a bit more careful and read all the decisions taken in council pertaining to the stadium," she said.

"I think when they do they may realise that they have egg on their faces."

She said that for "absolute certainty", she had re-submitted the wording of the resolution to senior counsel.

According to the council minutes of December 7, council conditionally approved a "closure of public place", and a deviation from the Green Point development framework "in order to establish the multi-purpose stadium and ancillary/incidental uses".

Semi-final warning

Chair of the 2010 local organising committee Irvin Khoza warned last week that if construction did not start in January, Cape Town could kiss its World Cup semi-final goodbye.

"We are not going to be remembered as people who procrastinate, who cannot deliver and who waste time," Khoza said.

Rasool said he was "particularly angry" given that as recently as November 29 the city rejected a proposal to partner with the province and business community through a special purpose vehicle.

"In rejecting this they asserted that they were a competent authority, they were capacitated to manage the process, and that they will manage on their own," he said.

"Maybe there will be greater humility now to accept assistance from the province."

Convening the council either before the end of the year, or very early in January would reassure Fifa that the city was committed to the World Cup and to completing the stadium in time.

'Letter of comfort'

The council has already held its last scheduled meeting of the year, and the next one is only at the end of January.

Rasool said he had spoken to local organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan, who was in Zurich, to brief him on what was happening, and Jordaan had asked for a formal "letter of comfort" explaining what was being done to remedy the situation.

Jordaan had in turn promised to brief Fifa boss Sepp Blatter.

Rasool said had Essop's legal team not picked up this "critical error", the process would have been open to challenge in what was already a "very litigious situation".

The Green Point Common Association, a grouping of residents, has threatened legal action to block construction.

Source: News24

Rasool fumes over 2010 'blunder'

20 December 2006

Cape Town - An angry Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool has called on the Cape Town city council to meet urgently to rectify what he says is a major procedural blunder threatening the proposed 2010 Green Point stadium.

He told journalists on Wednesday that instead of itself giving formal consent for the building of the stadium, the council had incorrectly referred the decision to provincial planning MEC Tasneem Essop when it submitted its rezoning application.

He said the matter would now have to go back to the council for consent, followed by a 21-day period for objections, and only then go back to Essop to consider the zoning decision.

"I am... dismayed that the City of Cape Town has either misread the law or that they have allowed incompetence into the process, so much so, that we now have this delay," Rasool said.

"This mistake should never have happened in the first place."

Semi-final warning

Chair of the 2010 local organising committee Irvin Khoza warned last week that if construction did not start in January, Cape Town could kiss its World Cup semi-final goodbye.

"We are not going to be remembered as people who procrastinate, who cannot deliver and who waste time," Khoza said.

Rasool said he was "particularly angry" given that as recently as November 29 the city rejected a proposal to partner with the province and business community through a special purpose vehicle.

"In rejecting this they asserted that they were a competent authority, they were capacitated to manage the process, and that they will manage of their own," he said.

He appealed to mayor Helen Zille to convene the council either before the end of the year, or "very early" in January.

Doing so would reassure Fifa that the city was committed to the World Cup and to completing the stadium within the given timeframes.

'Letter of comfort'

Rasool said he had spoken to local organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan, who was in Zurich, to brief him on what was happening, and Jordaan had asked for a formal "letter of comfort" explaining what was being done to remedy the situation.

Jordaan had in turn promised to brief Fifa boss Sepp Blatter.

Rasool said had Essop's legal team not picked up this "critical error", the "entire decision" would have been open to severe legal challenge in what was already a "very litigious situation".

The Green Point Common Association, a grouping of residents, has threatened legal action to block construction.

Source: News24

2010 warning for Cape Town

20 December 2006

Johannesburg - The World Cup goes on with or without Cape Town - this was the stark warning emanating from chairperson Irvin Khoza on Wednesday at a Local Organising Committee media briefing in Johannesburg on the progress towards the 2010 tournament.

Khoza was commenting on the niggling succession of obstacles that have emerged surrounding the construction of a new stadium for the World Cup which is due to be erected as part of a comprehensive development in the Green Point precinct of Cape Town - with the latest such obstruction a threat from the Green Point Residents Association to take the matter to court if certain conditions surrounding the project are not met.

"The World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South Africa and a momentous task to bring to fruition, with the whole operation required to be carried out like clockwork," said Khoza, "and even a delay of two or three weeks in our timetable of events could be critical, let alone a lengthy wait over the outcome of court proceedings.

"Naturally we hope all the difficulties in Cape Town will be ironed out in time," added the LOC chair, "but we are not dragging our heels while getting into protracted arguments over the Cape Town stadium."

A more conciliatory approach was taken by CEO Danny Jordaan, who pointed out that Cape Town municipal authorities had now accepted in entirety the proposals for the new Cape Town Stadium.

Preliminary draw would take place in Durban

"Ultimately," he added, "the stadium and its implications concern every resident of Cape Town and I cannot see the city rejecting a two-billion rand grant from the government towards overall costs if the project turns out to be still-born."

Ironically, in the circumstances, Khoza scoffed at the allegations of serious disagreements between himself and Jordaan over World Cup planning and said they were bonded together to ensure the success of the 2010 tournament.

"If there is any serious tension between us," he joked in a manner that recalled the old maxim about many a true word being spoken in jest, "they will only surface in 2011."

Khoza and Jordaan were in more obvious accord over initial planning for 2010, which they described as "encouraging in all aspects - and ahead of time."

It was confirmed that the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup would take place in Durban on November 23 next year, with up to 3 500 delegates and other visitors from 200 competing nations in attendance.

Khoza said the LOC's preparation towards 2010 had been approved in its entirety by Fifa at a meeting in Zurich last week - and Jordaan said Africa had achieved a major coup in the decision by the executive to grant the continent six of the 32 team positions at the next World Cup to African teams for the first time.

South Africa qualify automatically as hosts and what was described as "a mad scramble" will ensue among the 50 other nations for five places.

Source: News24

Tensions mount over CT stadium

5 December 2006

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town is determined to press ahead with its plans to build a new Soccer World Cup stadium in Green Point.

This despite a legal threat to prevent the R2.5bn project from being carried out.

A meeting will be held on Wednesday evening to consider re-zoning the stadium, a move that will pave the way for the construction of the 68-000 seater stadium.

The city has received 19 appeals against the proposed stadium which is expected to link Green Point with the V&A Waterfront.

Among the most vocal opponents of the plan is the Green Point Common Association which is threatening to take legal action against the city.

The organisation has lodged a 'substantive' appeal against the development which could result in the semi-finals being held elsewhere.

Source: News24