Polokwane stadium contractor to be named within two weeks

Within two weeks, a contractor will be announced for the Peter Mokaba Stadium, located in Polokwane.

Shortly after naming the contractor, construction is expected to begin on the 45,000-seat stadium, which costs 797 millions Rand. Completion is projected for Dec. 30, 2008.

Features for the stadium, which will host the 2010 World Cup, include a 500-seat VIP area with its own entrance, seats for 1,675 media representatives, 200 TV positions, a VIP reception area and lounge, offices and storage areas, and parking for players and officials.

It is one of five new stadiums being built for the World Cup. The others include King Senzangakhona Stadium in Durban, Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit and Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

While Mokaba Stadium is on schedule, Green Point could face delays from legal action. Western Province Athletics has threatened legal action if the old stadium is torn down. This follows on the heels of the Green Point Common Association, which has threatened to take the city to court if a representative management team is not set up.

James Evans of WPA said the city had failed to consult with athletics organizations before starting to dismantle the stadium. He said the loss of the stadium's athletic track would affect several clubs and numerous schools which did not have their own facilities.

Pieter Cronje, spokesperson for the city's 2010 World Cup project team, said city officials would meet this week with Evans and Sean Snyman of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology's athletics club. The city has said the athletics track will be relocated to the Green Point Common, but it is unlikely this site would be available before 2010. But Evans said the cost of building a track in a stadium already costing billions of rands was "negligible".

Rising cost estimates by the top three bidders have put pressure on the city as it prepares for the construction of the semi-final venue. The tenders are reportedly up to 30 percent more than the budget price.

The city trimmed costs last year to amend its stadium construction budget by nearly a billion rand.

Irvin Khoza, chairperson of the Local Organising Committee for 2010, has given Cape Town until the end of March to start building the 68 000-seat stadium, which would be capable of hosting a semifinal match.

Cape Town was not the only city experiencing delays in the awarding of its construction tenders. Durban and Port Elizabeth were also struggling with offers that had come in 20 to 30 percent above budget.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.