The City of Johannes- burg (CoJ) says that the process of appointing a facility manager for Orlando stadium has reached an advanced stage.

“A facility manager will be appointed after the completion of outstanding work done on the pitch, as well as the outer perimeter and the precinct of the stadium,” says CoJ media liaison officer Nthatisi Modin-goane.

He adds that a delegation from FIFA will be in the country in February to inspect the pitches of all the 2010 stadiums.

Orlando stadium, to be used as a training venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is being turned into a multipurpose facility for soccer, rugby, gatherings and concerts. It will have about 120 suites and conference facilities.

Modingoane says that the appointee will manage the facility on behalf of the CoJ and will be required to ensure diverse usage of the facility.

“The manager will also have to explore various revenue streams for the multipurpose facility. “Negotiations are under way with Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows to be the anchor teams for the stadium and use it as a home ground post-2010.”

The main stadium construc-tion is complete. Attention has now shifted to the pitch, the outer perimeter and the stadium precinct.

The stadium upgrade is being undertaken at a cost of R280-mil- lion.

Twenty-five per cent of this price tag comes from the Muni-cipal Infrastructure Grant, with 75% from the CoJ’s coffers.

The CoJ sees the project as part of a “bigger programme of restoring the dignity of its people and as one of the legacy projects meant to benefit the community long after the soccer spectacular has come and gone”.

With this upgrade, the 40 000- capacity stadium will become one of the more important homes of football in Soweto.

The community has benefited from this development, with 2 205 jobs having been created. Training is being provided in the fields of carpentry, bricklaying, plastering and painting.

Among the 2010 soccer World Cup-related transport projects being implemented in Johannesburg is the R420-million N17-Nasrec link project, which links two key 2010 venues – Soccer City, the home of South African football and the venue for the 2010 opening and final matches – and Orlando stadium.

The project will leave a lasting legacy for footballers in terms of providing direct and rapid access to the Nasrec sports precinct. It is structured to “give 20% participation to targeted contractors” and create 320 jobs and is scheduled for completion in December this year.

It will also provide the much-needed northern ramps to the N1 freeway, improving access between Soweto and areas such as Randburg and Sandton, thereby helping destroy the deliberate socioeconomic barriers created prior to 1994.

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