Legal and technical experts from the Western Cape provincial government
and the City of Cape Town met on Thursday to discuss a way forward on
the city's proposed 2010 Soccer World Cup stadium.
The meeting came as verbal sniping continued over the province's claim
that a bungle by the city in the approvals process has delayed the construction
of the R2,9-billion project.
Mayor Helen Zille said the experts were seeking a way to "resolve
the development approvals" required for the construction and would
continue their work on Friday.
"Procedural difficulties around the rezoning for the Green Point
stadium can be overcome and I am confident a way forward will be found
between the City of Cape Town and the provincial government," she
said.
She also said the controversy was a "political storm in a teacup'.
"Several months ago, I met with the premier [Ebrahim Rasool] and
we agreed on a step-by-step process on the statutory approvals required
for Green Point Common and the construction of the new stadium. The City
has met every one of its obligations by the required deadline."
She said there was nothing stopping provincial planning minister Tasneem
Essop from making a decision on the city's rezoning application.
It appeared that the province's motive was to try to force the city to
agree to the establishment of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in which
it could have joint control of the 2010 project.
Zille said the city had no problem with working jointly with the province,
but could not agree to a separate SPV because the National Treasury, Fifa
and the Local Organising Committee had entered into contracts with cities,
not provinces, for 2010.
"We are therefore accountable and responsible and cannot delegate
this responsibility to a special purpose vehicle," she said.
"The premier and the province should stop trying to take over 2010.
They should put their pride in their pocket and continue working productively
in partnership with the city as we have up till now."
Earlier on Thursday Independent Democrats leader in the city council Simon
Grindrod said Zille would be to blame if Cape Town lost the semifinal
planned for the stadium.
"I'm holding Helen Zille personally responsible if we lose the [Soccer]
World Cup [event], because her first act as mayor was to halt the planning
process," he said.
"She was trying to appease her support base, and it's all backfired."
He called on Zille to summon an urgent council meeting to resolve the
matter.
Chairperson of the Federated Hospitality Association of SA, Nils Heckscher,
said in a statement that the province, city and "all decision-making
bodies" should get their act together, and put an end to the delays
threatening the stadium.
"Decision makers and all role-players need to see the bigger context,"
he said.
"This is about economic growth opportunities and an injection of
billions of rands into the city coffers that will not easily be rivalled
by any other event."
Ben Maclennan | Cape Town, South Africa. ,
Dec 22, 2006.
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