FIFA not concerned, yet

By Damaria Senne, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 28 Jan 2008

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is interested in SA`s power problems and how they will be resolved.

However, it is not yet concerned about the potential impact the country`s power crisis could have on the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament, as well as the related technology, says Local Organising Committee (LOC) spokesman Tim Modise. "FIFA is interested in the power cuts. Concerned? Not yet."

Modise says the LOC plans to meet with Eskom to discuss its strategy to deal with the power problems. This input will feed into the LOC`s own strategy to address the issue and ensure the games go as smoothly as possible, he says.

"Our approach is simple: our project is still going to happen. Like all other South Africans, we`re also waiting for Eskom [to inform us of its plans]. We don`t want to be worked up; speculate."

Modise also joins government in reassuring stakeholders in the 2010 tournament that the stadiums where the games will be held, as well as the transmission of the games, will not be affected by the power problems.

The stadiums and broadcast facilities were always going to be powered using generators, with Eskom serving as a secondary power source, he says. This is a standard guarantee that FIFA has with all host countries, he notes.

Budget worries?

Department of Communications spokesman Albi Modise adds that the power problems will also have no impact on the ICT planning and projected budget for the games, as well as the guarantees made to FIFA.

Government has yet to communicate its final ICT budget for the 2010 games. However, it was initially estimated to be about R5 billion.

On Friday, in a media briefing following an announcement that SA is facing unprecedented power cuts resulting in a national disaster, public enterprise minister Alec Erwin outlined medium-term plans that would ensure SA`s power problems do not impact the 2010 games.

"There is no threat to the successful holding of the event as plans to ensure electricity security in that period, specifically for the event, are well advanced," Erwin said.

He urged South Africans to reduce their electricity consumption. Government is also rolling out solar-powered lights, an initiative which was piloted by Cape Town.

Medium-term interventions include the Electricity Regulation Act, which provides for penalties for users who exceed their quotas.

There will also be ongoing price increases, which Erwin says will reflect the real cost of producing electricity and curtail demand.

Still upbeat

Whiphold Treasury analyst Craig Zaiman says 2010 failure is not an option.

International investors see SA as a gateway into the African continent and its failure to successfully host the 2010 games will impact on the risk profile of the rest of the continent, he says.

However, Econometrix analyst Tony Twine argues that South Africans` reaction to the power problems is insular. This problem is not new to other countries, he says. The UK, Japan and the Philippines experienced power problems in their histories, and citizens and visitors coped just fine, he says.

The solution to managing the problem effectively lies in making sure citizens are aware of when power cuts will take place so they can plan around it, he says.

Eskom`s Web site, at this stage, is no help and the national power utility needs to communicate with citizens more clearly, he says.