Costs rise for 2010 World Cup as SA hold security excercise

The South African government will spend more than 30 billion rands (US$3.7 billion, €2.4 billion) on the 2010 World Cup, partly due to escalating stadium construction costs, according to an official report Tuesday.

The report, which assessed progress in preparations, said that so far some 20 billion rands (US$2.5, €1.6 billion) had been allocated for stadium, transport and other infrastructure.

When it bid to host the soccer showcase, estimates made in 2004 for the cost of hosting the event were as little as 3 billion rand (US$370 million, €240 million).

But since then, plans have become more ambitious - new stadiums are being built in Durban and Cape Town which were not initially scheduled - and the price of cement and other raw materials has risen.

The government has also decided to use the event as a catalyst for massive spending on badly needed transport infrastructure like roads, railways and airports, as well as beefing up police numbers and equipment.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, who received the report from Sports Minister Makhenkese Stofile, warned that spending would not "be open ended" in a country suffering crushing poverty and inequality due to years of apartheid.

Stofile said the report showed that government preparations were on track.

"This report shows that we have complied with literally every guarantee that we have made. We even went beyond that," he told a press conference in Pretoria, according to the South African Press Association.

After a slow start, stadium construction is generally on track, although there are concerns that the Port Elizabeth stadium may not be ready in time for the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The lack of efficient public transport remains a big headache, although the government says it is confident it will be able to meet the needs of tens of thousands of visiting fans.

Authorities are also honing security preparations - another potential source of worry.

The police and army on Tuesday wound up a high-profile three day security operation in the skies above Cape Town, declaring that it proved South Africa would be able to combat threats of terrorism or other violent disruptions to the World Cup.

Air force and air traffic control authorities vetted hundreds of commercial and private flights, staged helicopter maneuvers above the half-built Green Point soccer stadium and simulated a mid-air hijacking. More exercises will be repeated over the next year at all cities hosting the tournament.

Senior air force official Brig. Gen. Anton Kriegler said Operation Green Point, due to end Tuesday night, was a trial run for 2010 and had run smoothly. The idea was to sort out glitches now rather than in two years' time, he said.

Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Pruis predicted: "From a security point of view, a very successful World Cup." Pruis said authorities were completing "very specific" plans to cover scenarios such as hooliganism and chemical and biological threats. Border security will be stepped up with the help of satellite technology, and special measures will be taken at the country's ports and for cruise liners, he said.

The South African government has budgeted 1 billion rands (US$123 million, €78 million) for security for the World Cup. This will be used to buy additional surveillance aircraft, police vehicles and other equipment, Pruis said. More than 40,000 police will be dedicated to World Cup duties.

Local residents, who opposed the construction of the 68,000 seat Green Point stadium in the heart of the city, were less enthusiastic.

"The invasion of our peace and quiet was inexcusable," wrote Geoff Stroebel in the Cape Times newspaper. "How many times is it necessary to fly around a half completed stadium?"

Sapa-AP