President Zuma visits Cape Town's 2010 stadium for "One Year to Go" celebration

To mark the one-year countdown to the 2010 Fifa World Cup Soccer Tournament, President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by Premier Helen Zille, Executive Mayor Dan Plato and Danny Jordaan, CEO of Fifa's Local Organising Committee, will be visiting the Green Point stadium on Thursday, June 11.

This will be President Zuma's first ever visit to Cape Town's 2010 stadium. "To mark this important milestone on the world's sporting calendar, the City of Cape Town has arranged an action-packed programme for the month of June," says Pieter Cronjé, the City's 2010 Communication Director.

Activities will kick off on June 11, with the top-level visit of VIPs to the Green Point stadium from 14:00 to 17:00. Helicopters will thrill the crowds with banner fly-overs during the presidential walkabout.

In the evening, Executive Mayor Dan Plato, will host a cocktail party at Hamilton's Rugby Field for 500 VIP guests, including the world's most influential leaders who will be in Cape Town for the World Economic Forum conference.

On the same day, Danny Jordaan, CEO of Fifa's Local Organising Committee, will visit the Cape Town Civic Centre at 07h30 to hand out 2010 memorabilia to Council employees. The concourse will be festooned with host city flags.

On Saturday afternoon, June 13, about 40 Harley Davidson motorcycles will lead a rally from Green Point stadium to the Football for Hope Centre in Harare, Khayelitsha. City and Provincial politicians will hand over 10 Adidas soccer balls and food parcels to the Khayelitsha Development Forum and grassroots soccer organisations.

On the same afternoon, there will be a Women's Five-a-Side Indoor Soccer Tournament at the Good Hope Centre. The two teams will be selected from the 2010 teams of the City and Province.

Although Cape Town is not a Confederations Cup host city, Coca Cola, the SABC, Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town have arranged five Public Viewing Areas (PVAs) for Capetonians to view matches from June 14 to 28.

The PVAs are at the Gugulethu Sports Complex, Robinvale Complex in Atlantis, Fisantekraal, Blue Downs and the Desmond Tutu Sport Complex in Khayelitsha. These will be open from 11h00 to 22h30 on June 14, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25 and 28.

"Excitement is mounting for next year's huge soccer spectacle, and Cape Town is pulling out all stops to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity," says Cronjé.

Throughout the Cape metropole, 2010 host city flags will be prominently displayed in strategic areas, such as Cape Town International Airport, the Fan Park on the Grand Parade, Strand Street, Hertzog Boulevard and Green Point Circle.

Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town.