Unveiling of Senzangakhona stadium
STATEMENT FROM HIS WORSHIP MAYOR
OBED MLABA ON THE OCCASION OF THE
UNVEILING OF THE NEW STADIUM FOR DURBAN
15 JUNE 2006
“If this can be termed the century of the common man, then soccer, of all sports, is surely his game.... So said Stanley Rous in 1952. f I may be permitted to update his quote ... “In a world haunted by poverty, Aids and war, the football field is a place where sanity and hope are still left unmolested.”
The beautiful game, ladies and gentlemen, is why we are here today. Here, in eThekwini, we like to say that we are South Africa’s home of soccer because we are passionate about watching, cheering and especially hosting the game. With today’s unveiling of the design of the new King Senzangakhona Stadium, named after King Shaka’s father, the City of Durban today signals that we are ready, willing, geared up and getting kitted out for 2010.
We know that we will be hosting a semi-final and I believe eThekwini should be hosting the final. We have the biggest soccer fan-base in the country, the best accommodation facilities, wonderful leisure and recreation facilities; security that has been tried and tested with international heads of state like the NAM conference and the Racism Conference; and now, of course, a great new stadium.
Durban is certainly no stranger to hosting international sporting events and because we have a well-run local government with excellent relationships with the private sector, we are ideally placed to play a major role in South Africa’s 2010 World Cup programme. Just look at the resounding success of the recent Kaizer Chiefs versus Orlando Pirates derby in the city.
Our 2010 planning falls firmly within our vision of asserting this City as Africa’s best sporting, leisure, arts and culture destination. When combined with our rich cultural, historical and political legacy we have all the ingredients for our “2010 and Beyond” strategy to place us at the forefront of sport, art and heritage.
The strategy focuses on ensuring we attract world class events to our city and province, events which reinforce our passion for sport, art and culture, whilst maximizing tourism benefits and ensuring we have world-class facilities. We have done it before. We hosted Bafana-England and are seen as the home for Bafana. We have hosted major rugby, cricket and other sporting events. Our ICC remains the best in Africa and its expansion into an entertainment arena this year will bring new benefits. The hosting of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race continues to bring us accolades and the recent hosting of the A1 Grand Prix has become one of Africa’s most talked about sporting events.
In the next three years we will host events such as A1 Grand Prix, Clipper Round the world Yacht race, African Motor Car Rally followed by World Rally Championships, World Veterans Tennis, World Cycling, World Beach Soccer Series, FINA Swimming, Dusi Canoe Race, Comrades Marathon, Tour d’Urban, Amashovashova cycling race, and so on.
What this all means for the people of eThekwini is increased job opportunities and increased economic growth, two of the key issues we are focused on in the municipality’s strategy for eThekwini.
Durban's strengths include plenty of suitable accommodation: three and five star hotels here have a total of 8 000 beds within 10 minutes of the main grounds. And by 2010, 10 new hotels would be built.
Durban is the only city in Africa with a fibre optic cable network; it has an extensive cellphone network; and a strong banking sector. Its transport system is on a par with the best. An estimated 5 000 people a day pass through Durban International Airport. In addition to its existing roads, 14000km of local and 1 300km of freeways were being upgraded, while the city's public transport system (taxis, buses, minibuses and a planned people mover within the city centre) had the capacity to carry fans to the venues. An integrated transport plan has been submitted to the Treasury for a major upgrade of transport facilities, and will be fast-tracked for the World Cup 2010.
The cherry on top of all this, ladies and gentlemen is our new stadium. I invite you, our partners and especially the media to get on board with us in this exciting adventure that is our preparation for 2010 and to say, with us, that we are ready and we are willing and we are waiting with all hands on deck for 2010.
Thank you