By Buffalo City Reporter
5 June 2008

SOME R67-million will be spent by Buffalo City during the next financial year on upgrading community facilities in preparation for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™ to be hosted in South Africa.

In her State of the City address on Thursday, 29 May, Executive Mayor Zintle Peter said that the money would be targeted for the upgrading of stadiums such as Absa, Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe, Gompo Grounds and the Victoria Grounds in King William’ s Town.

“An amount of R67-million has been set aside to upgrade relevant infrastructure that hopefully will make Buffalo City an attractive proposition as a base camp for one of the competing teams,” Peter said.

The City’s 2010 co-ordinator Roy Young said he was happy that money had been set aside for the preparations of the soccer showpiece. “It’s good news indeed but this also means that we need to start working; and we need to do it now because we only have a year to do all these things.”

He said that the money came at the right time as the City was already busy improving the state of one of its main facilities, the Absa Stadium.

“We are already busy at the Absa Stadium, upgrading the change rooms and the drainage system, and we have also improved the VIP box and the media box.”

Turning his attention to the work ahead, Young said that he needed to work with other directorates and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the money was spent wisely.

“We need not delay; we will meet with all the relevant partners so that we all move together in a united front. I am really happy that the City has set money aside for 2010 for the next financial year.”