An eight-nation international under-20 football tournament, hosted by the South African Football Association (Safa) Western Cape, kicks off in Cape Town on Friday, with South Africa facing Argentina and Ghana playing Nigeria.

The competition runs from 25 May to 3 June, with matches taking place at the Cape Town and Athlone stadiums.

There are two groups: Group A consists of South Africa, Argentina, Nigeria and Ghana, while Group B includes Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya and Japan.

'Legacy'

"This event is continuing the legacy of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and in this vein Safa is maintaining its contribution to Africa's ascendancy in world football," Norman Arendse, Safa Cape Town President, said in a statement.

"Initially, our vision was to ensure the presence of at least one country from each of Fifa's six Confederations at this year's showpiece, but it's more likely that we'll realise that ideal next time when we’re likely to pass the eight-team mark.

"The Cape Town International under-20 Challenge event will take on a Fifa Confederations Cup flavour as all the teams will be using the tournament to prepare for the 2013 Fifa under-20 World Cup in Turkey."

Safa support

Arendse says it was not easy though to get all the teams to the tournament, but said the work done had borne fruit. "Safa Cape Town was entirely dependent on its mother body to work the contacts with the federations around the world," he explained.

"Safa elicited such an overwhelming response that they also chalked up a few countries who want to be part of the 2014 tournament, after some of them failed to make the cut this time out.

"We are also indebted to the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape for their generous support. Their role in this joint initiative is in itself a statement of their support for the beautiful game.

"They've demonstrated their commitment, and as football administrators we know we can confidently lean on our 'Big Brother' whenever we called on to host an event," he concluded.

South African squad

A 25-player South african squad has been named for the event. Coach Solly Luvhengo, speaking at training ahead of the competition said: "The team is slowly gelling well and I have seen they have the hunger, commitment and determination to do well in this tournament.

"We don't want to put them under pressure, but, as hosts, I believe we need to come out with a medal in the end.

"This is a very important tournament and we need to give a very good showing because we are the hosts. It's been a long time since we last played a match, but I believe my players will have enough in their reserves not to disappoint.

"The first match is very crucial as it is the one that will give us direction and help us settle. A win will give us the confidence to tackle the entire tournament."

Five-time World Cup winners

South Africa's first match against Argentina is sure to be a tough test; the Argentinians have won the biannual under-20 World Cup five times since 1995.

Among the other teams, Brazil are the reigning under-20 World Cup champions and are also five-time winners of the event. Ghana won the title in 2009, while Nigeria has twice lost in the final and Japan was a beaten finalist in 1999.

FIXTURES

25 May, Athlone Stadium

• 18:00 South Africa vs Argentina
• 20:30 Ghana vs Nigeria

• 26 May, Cape Town Stadium
  

• 14:00 Kenya vs Japan
• 16:30 Brazil vs Cameroon

• 27 May, Cape Town Stadium
  

• 14:00 South Africa vs Ghana
• 16:30 Argentina vs Nigeria

• 28 May, Athlone Stadium
  

• 18:00 Brazil vs Kenya
• 20:30 Cameroon vs Japan

• 29 May, Cape Town Stadium
  

• 18:00 SA vs Nigeria
• 20:30 Argentina vs Ghana

• 30 May, Athlone Stadium
  

• 18:00 Brazil vs Japan
• 20:30 Cameroon vs Kenya

• 1 June, Athlone Stadium
  Semi-finals
  

• 18:00 Winner A vs Runner up B
• 20:30 Winner B vs Runner up A

• 3 June, Cape Town Stadium
  3rd Place Play-off
  

• 14:00 Loser 1st Semi-final vs Loser 2nd Semi-final

• Final
  

• 17:00 Winner 1st Semi-final vs Winner 2nd Semi-final

• SAinfo reporter

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A campaign to reduce the number of children killed and injured in road accidents, while honouring the memory of Nelson Mandela's great-granddaughter Zenani, was launched in New York on Wednesday.

Zenani Mandela was tragically killed in a car crash ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, just two days after her 13th birthday.

The Zenani Campaign, led by her mother Zoleka Mandela and grandmother Zindzi Mandela, will contribute to the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to improve the level of protection for children on roads mainly in developing countries.

The campaign will also form part of Mandela Day, which is marked across the world on 18 July each year to inspire people to take action to change the world for the better and, in doing so, to build a global movement for good.

Road casualties 'not just a tragic fact'

At the launch in New York City on Wednesday, the Mandela family was joined by South African Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"In common with many people, I used to think that road casualties were just a tragic fact of life, about which nothing could be done," Zindzi Mandela said. "I did not ask how we can prevent this, what actions can we take. But so much can be done to save young lives.

"We can, and we must do much more to protect our children," Mandela said. "Support the Zenani Campaign. Demand protection for children on the roads, and let us ensure that in future, other families do not have to suffer the pain that my family has suffered."

'Think Pedestrian'

Also speaking at the launch, Ndebele said that, at the current rate, road crashes would be the number one killer of children aged between 5 and 14 in Africa by 2015, outstripping Malaria and HIV.

"Pedestrians alone account for nearly 40 percent of road fatalities in our country annually," he said.

Two weeks ago, the South African Department of Transport, in partnership with Eqstra Fleet Management and Logistics, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the UN, officially launched the "Think Pedestrian" campaign, aimed at intensive road safety awareness and education programmes.

Mayor Bloomberg said that almost 1.3-million people were killed and millions more injured on the world's roads every year, and that many of those victims were children.

"There's a strong and growing network of organisations working around the world to implement proven interventions including tougher speeding, seat-belt and helmet rules, and an increase in safe school crossings and more footpaths," Bloomberg said.

"This campaign is yet another positive step forward in efforts to address this leading cause of death and save more lives."

'We'll never get Zenani back'

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who had a close relationship with Zenani, said: "There are far too many children being killed - 1 000 every day. The family will never get over the pain of her loss, and we'll never get Zenani back.

"But she was such a positive little girl that she would have wanted to make a difference," Campbell said. "In memory of Zenani Mandela, I support this campaign. Lives can be saved, and we need action right now."

F1 star Lewis Hamilton also gave his support: "Every three minutes a young child dies on the world's roads. I'm supporting the Zenani Campaign and the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, because we need action now to prevent more tragedies."

Source: BuaNews

The R450-million 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust, aimed at ensuring that South Africans continue reaping the benefits of hosting Africa's first Fifa World Cup, is now fully operational.

This was announceed by the world football governing body's secretary-general, Jérôme Valcke, following the inaugural meeting of the Trust's board at South African Football Association (Safa) headquarters in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

"We are very pleased that the Trust is now fully operational," Valcke said. "It is the first time in the history of the Fifa World Cup that such a trust has been established and it required a complex administrative process, which is why it took us some time to set it up.

"I'm glad that we are now entering a phase that will focus on implementing the vision to ensure that the legacy can benefit the host country."

Range of public initiatives

The 2010 Legacy Trust will support a wide range of public initiatives that harness football for sport development, education, health and humanitarian activities in South Africa.

Fifa has transferred R450-million into the Legacy Trust accounts. This will be administered by international auditors Ernst and Young.

This is in addition to the R700-million already allocated by Fifa a legacy of the World Cup and given to Safa in the build-up to the event for preparation purposes (R450-million) and for the construction of Safa House (R150-million).

Safa was also given R40-million for football development projects, and a further R70-million for investment in a fleet of buses and cars to enable the 52 regional structures of the association to transport their teams.

Grassroots level

"From today, we can look forward to the fruits of 2010 being enjoyed at grassroots level and within communities across South Africa," Safa president Kirsten Nematandani said on Wednesday.

The Trust Board will be chaired by Safa fourth vice-president Danny Jordaan. The other trustees are Nematandani and Eric Mtshatsha, with Alec Moemi and Michael Katz representing business, and Valcke, development director Thierry Regenass and CSR head Federico Addiechi representing Fifa.

Other legacy initiatives that have been implemented by Fifa since 2005 include the 20 Football for Hope Centres, the Win in Africa with Africa initiative, the Football for Health project and the 2010 Fifa World Cup Ticket Fund.

Source: BuaNews

South Africa is a culturally diverse country, one nation made up of many peoples.

The South African Football Association (Safa) has moved to boost the performances of the country's national team ahead of its first 2014 World Cup qualifiers, appointing former Bafana Bafana captain Steve Khompela and Brazilian Jairo Leal as assistants to coach Pitso Mosimane.

"We are extremely pleased to strengthen the technical team with such quality coaches," Safa CEO Robin Petersen told journalists in Johannesburg on Thursday.

"We are entering a crucial phase for Bafana Bafana, in which we will play the first two World Cup qualifying matches, in addition to commencing preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted in South Africa."

Komphela, who will remain as coach of Free State Stars and assist Mosimane on a part-time basis, has been contracted through to the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

Played together

Mosimane and Komphela played together in the Bafana team in 1993, and also worked together in the pre-Carlos Parreira coaching era.

Mosimane said he was delighted to be able to partner again with Komphela. "We share the same football philosophy and vision, having played and coached together. Steve brings extra passion, determination, skills and insights and is respected by the players," Mosimane added.

Safa has also appointed Simon Ngomane head coach of the national under-17 men's team, while former men's under-20 national team coach Khabo Zondo will take charge of the Transnet Football School of Excellence.

SAinfo reporter

South African Football Association (Safa) vice-president Danny Jordaan has been appointed a special adviser for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, as well as to work with Alexy Sorokin, the head of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The appointment was ratified by world football's controlling body, Fifa, in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday.

Jordaan, who headed up the organisation of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, will serve on the World Cup Organising Committee, which comprises the world's top football administrators, including Fifa president Sepp Blatter, continental confederation presidents, and the entire Fifa executive.

Crown jewel

The World Cup generates 90 percent of Fifa's revenue and is considered to be its crown jewel. The World Cup Organising committee is therefore acknowledged to be one of Fifa's most important bodies.

"I am very proud and excited to have been asked to serve on this vital committee which supports the backbone of Fifa's business model," Jordaan said in a statement on Thursday.

"The 2010 World Cup, which was acknowledged as the most successful ever, generated a massive US$4.2-billion. The projected target for Brazil is to grow that by 10 percent," he said.

Main task

"The Fifa Organising Committee (OC) has already received a comprehensive briefing from the Brazilian Organising Committee about all facets of its preparations," Jordaan said. "The main task of the Fifa OC will be to critically examine Brazil's preparations for the 2014 World Cup, to ensure that there are no logistical obstacles in the way of this target being achieved."

Jordaan has worked on various Fifa committees, including those for the 1998 World Cup in France, the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, and Germany 2006.

He said his appointment bore testimony to South Africa's credibility in hosting major events, and was recognition of the country's position as a rising footballing nation.

'We created the benchmark'

"In 2010 we created the benchmark for how to host a great and successful event, and future World Cups will always be evaluated against what South Africa achieved," he said.

Jordaan is also on the Fifa Transparency and Compliance Committee, which deals with Fifa's corporate governance. He is also the chairman of Safa's international and commercial bodies, and deputy chair of the Confederation of African Football's marketing and African Cup of Nations organising committees.

SAinfo reporter

South African President Jacob Zuma, speaking at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea on Monday, stressed the importance of remaining alert to the risks posed by nuclear terrorism.

"We should remain vigilant of the continued risks posed by nuclear terrorism, the illicit nuclear network and criminal acts, and the use of nuclear or other radioactive material for malicious acts," Zuma said during a Leaders' Working Dinner at the summit.

"We can, through a cooperative approach in the relevant multilateral organisations, effectively deal with these risks."

'Elimination ultimately the only prevention'

Zuma noted that the leaders were meeting at the summit with the common aim of achieving a world free of weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons.

"In our desire to create a forum to raise awareness on nuclear security, we cannot ignore the reality that only the verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons will ultimately prevent the use of such weapons."

Zuma also noted the need to fully implement the relevant international legally binding obligations on nuclear security and nuclear safety.

Such an approach had proved invaluable when South Africa hosted the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Zuma said, thanking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the US government for their assistance with nuclear security measures at the different World Cup venues.

Highly enriched uranium 'for peaceful uses only'

On the issue of highly enriched uranium (HEU), Zuma acknowledged that HEU and separated plutonium required special precautions, adding that South Africa had taken such precautions.

"Our international legally binding obligations on nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation allow for the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes only, irrespective of the enrichment level," Zuma said. "In this connection, South Africa has adopted a policy on the beneficiation of our mineral resources, including uranium."

South Africa believed the focus on minimising the use of HEU to peaceful applications - which represented a tiny fraction of the HEU used for military purposes - should come to fruition in the long-outstanding negotiations on a fissile material treaty, Zuma added.

These negotiations should commence in the Conference on Disarmament without further delay.

"Going forward, we believe that the best approach would be to address the issues of nuclear safety and nuclear security in a coherent manner," Zuma said. "Therefore, our future emphasis should be on supporting the work on nuclear safety and security undertaken by existing multilateral organizations such as the IAEA."

Source: BuaNews

Brad Morgan

South Africa aims to buck the trend at recent African Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournaments by filling the stadiums at the 2013 continental showpiece - using strategies that made the 2010 Fifa World Cup such a success, including the hugely popular Football Fridays campaign.

Addressing the media for the first time on Thursday, the tournament's CEO, Mvuzo Mbebe said that filling the stadiums would be a top priority for the organisers - requiring them to sell around half-a-million tickets.

Low attendance has been a problem in past editions of the African Cup of Nations, with this year's tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon the most recent example.

The performance of the South African national team would therefore be crucial, Mbebe said. Bafana Bafana last won the tournament in 1996, when South Africa hosted it for the first time - recording packed houses all the way through the tournament.

Mbebe said his first order of business would be overseeing the selection of the host cities for the event. Between four and seven host cities are being considered, and will be confirmed during the week of 26 March.

"We don't have the luxury of time," Mbebe said, "but we are leaving nothing to chance as we have set ourselves high standards following the successful delivery of the best ever Fifa World Cup in 2010."

The process for selecting the host cities would be "rigorous but fair", taking into account issues "of cost, legacy benefits, accessibility, current infrastructure, and having a demonstrated ability to attract spectators to events," Mbebe said.

The finals will feature 16 teams, with 24 group matches and eight knockout matches.

A total of 47 countries have entered the qualifying rounds for the 2013 African Cup of Nations, including South Africa, who qualify automatically as the hosts of the event.

It's an opportunity for Bafana Bafana to turn around their flagging fortunes; the team has gone winless in its last six games, dropping down to 60th in the latest Fifa world rankings. Facing the leading teams on the continent will give South Africa the chance to move rapidly up the standings once more, provided they do well on home soil.

"If we pass the group stages and go to the final of the 2013 Afcon, it gives the chance to restore lost national pride," Safa president Kirsten Nematandani said at Thursday's press conference.

Although the African Cup of Nations finals take place every second year, the Confederation of African Football decided to hold back-to-back finals this time around in order to shift the tournament to odd years, to prevent it clashing with the World Cup.

Dates for the South African tournament have not yet been released. However, the finals traditionally take place in late January and early February.

Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Thandi Tobias-Pokolo is leading 45 South African companies on a mission to Brazil this week, on the lookout for trade and investment opportunities - and partnerships on 2014 Fifa World Cup projects.

The Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) will span three 2014 Fifa World Cup host cities, namely Sao Paulo, Curitiba and Porto Alegre, focusing on South Africa's World Cup legacy while giving emerging exporters insight into the Brazilian market.

The companies - from the built environment, construction, aerospace, rail and marine, manufacturing, agro-processing, services and electro-technical sectors - will take part in trade and investment seminars, targeted business-to-business meetings and site visits.

Tobias-Pokolo said the mission would profile South Africa's expertise in hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, while exploring potential partnerships between South African and Brazilian companies in tendering for 2014 World Cup projects.

"Investment and Trade Initiatives (ITIs) create an excellent platform to showcase South Africa's manufacturing and export capabilities as well as investment prospects in the markets in which the ITIs are held, which are targeted high-growth markets," Tobias-Pokolo said in a statement on the weekend.

She added that the ITI would build on relations that were established during similar missions undertaken in 2009 and 2010.

Airports Company South Africa is part of a consortium that recently won a bid for the expansion, maintenance and operation of Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo.

SAinfo reporter

Kemantha Govender

South Africa has officially launched a state-of-the-art, multi-billion rand cargo terminal, trade zone and agrizone - located between the two largest sea ports in the southern hemisphere - at the Dube Trade Port in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal.

The port, in which the King Shaka International Airport is located, has been operational for 22 months and the first phase has been completed. This includes a cargo terminal, trade zone, agrizone and IT and telecommunications platform.

In the long term, the plan is to establish an "aerotropolis" to the north of Durban, stretching from Umhlanga to Ballito, to further boost economic development and job creation in the province.

Between the South's two largest sea ports

Located between the two largest sea ports in the southern hemisphere - Durban and Richards Bay - the Dube Trade Port has huge potential to boost economic growth and job creation in the province.

In 2003, South Africa decided to relocate the old Durban International Airport to La Mercy and to establish the Dube Trade Port, incorporating the new King Shaka International Airport. The airport was completed ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Officially launching the Dube Trade Port on Thursday, President Jacob Zuma said he was impressed by the development at the massive facility.

"The focus on agriculture and food security in this airport city is a very progressive step," Zuma said. "The advantage of the agrizone is the use of limited growing space for the production of high volumes of high quality produce.

"As this project demonstrates, there is real scope for growth and finding new markets for the produce, including exports. Other than improving food security, agriculture is an important source of exports," Zuma added.

The Dube Trade Port Corporation - a state-owned enterprise - is now in a strong position to boost economic development and job creation in the province and the country. The construction phase alone has generated close to 20 000 jobs in each of the past two years.

Gateway to Africa

The government looks at its strategic airports to help promote its African agenda by opening up new routes or expanding existing ones on the continent. Zuma, therefore, welcomed SA Express's decision to make Durban its base for growing its footprint into the southern African region.

SA Express has concluded an agreement with the Dube Trade Port Corporation, which will see a connection being established between King Shaka International and the region, especially to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique.

There are also plans for SA Express to expand into countries such as Namibia, Malawi, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"There can only be positive results from this strategic move," Zuma said. "You will recall ... that there is a major African Union move to develop a continental free trade zone.

"Three regions alone - SADC, the East African Community and Comesa - bring together about 600-million people. Added to this, Africa provides a market of one-billion people. The focus on our continent is therefore a step in the right direction in terms of the country's strategic goals," Zuma said.

Southern Africa's 'premier logistics platform'

"The Trade Port is also set to be southern Africa's premier logistics platform, given that the Port of Durban provides connectivity to 53 international destinations and access to local distribution networks."

The President said King Shaka International had to market itself aggressively as a key entry point for international routes by attracting international carriers to Durban via bilateral air service agreements.

Passenger traffic at the airport has been steadily growing since its move from the old Durban International Airport.

"It is anticipated that the airport's passenger traffic for the 2012 financial year will surpass the five-million mark," Zuma noted.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize, also speaking at the launch, said the Dube Trade Port would greatly expand the province's import and export capacity.

Durban-Free State-Gauteng corridor

"The principal component of the Dube Trade Port is a new international passenger and cargo airport, but it is the new facility's proximity to the harbours of Durban and Richards Bay that give it the edge as a transport and logistics hub," Mkhize said.

The Dube Trade Port will form an important part of the government's new pipeline of major infrastructure development projects, one of which is the improvement of the movement of goods and economic integration through a Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor.

"This project is intended to connect the major economic centres of Gauteng and Durban/Pinetown, and at the same time, link these centres with an improved export capacity through our sea ports and improved railway lines," Zuma said.

"We expect this corridor to also stimulate growth in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a major agricultural and industrial region through which this route will pass."

After the launch, Zuma joined the Dube family to unveil a statue of the African National Congress's (ANC's) founding president, John Langalibalele Dube, at the Dube Trade Port offices.

Source: BuaNews

"South Africa: Inspiring New Ways", the new slogan for championing the country locally and internationally, has been approved by the Cabinet following extensive development and consultation by Brand South Africa.

Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane made the announcement on Thursday following the Cabinet's fortnightly meeting in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Brand South Africa, the organisation charged with marketing South Africa at home and abroad, will drive the popularisation of the new slogan, Chabane told reporters in Pretoria.

Championing SA at home and abroad

Brand South Africa is best known locally for its Play Your Part active citizenship campaign, and its precursor, the hugely successful Football Fridays campaign that ran in the build-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Internationally, Brand South Africa lobbies and networks extensively among global opinion leaders to shift perceptions about the country and the continent.

Most recently, the organisation teamed up with London's Financial Times to host a roundtable discussion on the future of mining in Africa at last month's Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

The month before that, Brand South Africa partnered with TIME Magazine in bringing global business and political leader together to discuss the role of Africa in the "Global Transformation" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The organisation also regularly brings groups of international journalists to the country to give them exposure to South African government and business, experience local life and culture, and learn about the country's latest technological developments.

SA climbs in the brand rankings

Its efforts have not gone unrewarded. In the latest release of the prestigious Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brand Index, made in October, South Africa moved up one spot to 36th out of 50 countries measured, confirming the steady improvement in the country's brand reputation.

The index is based on an annual online survey conducted among respondents from 20 "panel" countries in which the 50 competing nations are ranked along six dimensions: tourism, culture, people, exports, governance, and investment/immigration.

While expressing satisfaction with South Africa's ranking, Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola pointed out that different branding indices tended to come to different conclusions. What mattered most for a nation brand was its "key differentiators".

For Brand South Africa, this meant continuing to focus on positioning the country more as a business destination and an attractive emerging market on the African continent, Matola said.

SAinfo reporter

First-world infrastructure plus a vibrant emerging market equals huge investment potential!