BuaNews (Tshwane)
Ndaba Dlamini
2 July 2008
Johannesburg — Applications for volunteers for the 2009 Confederations Cup South Africa opened on Tuesday, with 42 application centres set up across Johannesburg.
More than 5 000 specialist and general volunteers will be recruited for the tournament, according to the city's official website.
Announcing the opening of the volunteer programme at SAFA House at Nasrec, Soweto, on Tuesday, volunteer programme manager of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC), Onke Mjo said people could apply online on the Confederations Cup website ( http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/index.html)
Applications can only be done online; however, centres have been set up for people who do not have access to the internet. Assistants are on hand at these centres to help applicants who are not computer literate.
"Centres have been created across the whole country where people can send their applications. The application process closes on 31 August," Ms Mjo said.
Thereafter, successful applicants would go through "a vigorous screening, interview and training process" to ensure they were able to satisfy the hundreds of people who would descend on the country for the Confederations Cup.
She said applicants should be South African citizens and should be 18 years or older by 1 March 2009.
People of various ages would be selected, including professionals, students, unemployed young people and retired people.
Volunteers will be recruited to help in operational areas such as accreditation, administration, information technology, language support, logistics, transport, information services, media and marketing.
The 2009 Confederations Cup, popularly known as the Festival of Champions, takes place from 14 to 28 June 2009 in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Rustenburg, Mangaung and Port Elizabeth.
It will be contested by eight countries - South Africa, Italy, United States, Brazil, Egypt, Iraq, UEFA 2008 champions Spain, and the champions of Oceania.
Recruiting Confederations Cup volunteers is the first step towards recruiting about 15 000 volunteers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Applications to volunteer during the latter tournament only open in July 2009.
The LOC Chief Executive Officer, Danny Jordaan, said the launch of the volunteer programme was a significant day for the committee.
It gave the LOC a chance to engage South Africans directly and to call on thousands of them for their support.
"Thousands of hours have to date been spent on tournament preparations and to deliver world-class stadia and infrastructure. It is, however, the warm hospitality and friendly reception we give hundreds of supporters who will descend on our country that will make us deliver on our promise of making 2010 the best FIFA World Cup ever."
Mr Jordaan said men and women, old and young, would have the chance to volunteer for the Confederations Cup; to become "the lifeblood" of the event.
"The volunteers will be absolutely essential in determining how the [Confederations Cup] and the [World Cup] are perceived."
Ms Mjo said applicants should not submit their curriculum vitae when applying for the volunteer programme.
She added that a call centre had been set up in partnership with the Umsobomvu Youth Fund to support the LOC's volunteer programme.
"The call centre will handle queries about the programme and people can call 0800 52 52 52 to be assisted."
The Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority (Theta) will train all volunteers for both the tournaments in customer service.
Adidas, the sports clothing manufacturer, is the official clothing suppliers for the programme.
In Johannesburg, the 42 access centres for volunteer applications are at the Umsobomvu Youth Fund offices on Diagonal Street and in Midrand, and in all the city's seven regions.
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