Funmi Komolafe
16 June 2009
Geneva — South Africa's hosting of the World Cup in 2010 has turned a great blessing to South Africa in many areas especially in terms of labour engagement.
South Africa's deputy president, Mr. Kgalema Motlanthe, said in Geneva yesterday that the country's preparations for the World Cup have helped to create numerous job opportunities for the unemployed in his country.
Motlanthe who spoke during a vice-presidential panel on "Managing the national jobs agenda in times of crisis" said that South Africa's hosting of the World Cup has "made the government to improve on infrastructure. Our road network, stadia are already working".
The deputy president said, "In March $90 billion was provided for infrastructure and development. We believe by developing infrastructure and using labour intensive mechanism, we can shield our people from global crisis".
Apart from this, the South African deputy president said his country has been doing its best to maintain existing infrastructure thereby keeping people on their jobs.
The moderator, Mr. Charles Hudson of the Cable News Network ( CNN), confirmed that South Africa has a road network that is comparable to many countries in Europe.South Africa is scheduled to host the 2010 World Cup.
It will be the first time that an African country would host the world cup.
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The benefits, both direct and indirect, as a result of South Africa's hosting of the World Cup are genuine and tangible. This needs to be communicated to the people at grass roots level. At present, the majority of South Africans regard the various construction projects and various infrastructure improvements leading up to 2010 are more of a nuisance and hinderance. The benefits, as an example, of the improved road transport system far outweigh the current inconvenience cuased as a result of the construction. The funds allocated for the police force's new equipment for 2010 may seem high for a soccer tournament, but the advanced training that the officers are receiving and the new crime combatting equipment purchased will benefit all South Africans long after the World Cup has ended.