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From this morning's newspapers
Diplomats, celebrities and wealthy businessmen are scrambling to secure personal bodyguards for the Soccer World Cup, the Sunday Times reported. The newspaper said that requests from across the world peaked after last week's 100-day celebrations to the tournament's kick-off and this would see several top-end security specialists being fully booked. Dynamic Alternatives co-director, Gavriel Schneider, said clients making requests for the service included executives, individuals and groups from the financial, sporting, industrial and mining sectors. Their requests ranged from around the clock protection to escorts to and from stadiums and tourist destinations. He said it would cost about R3 000 per day for the services of a bodyguard. Chris Beukes, head of TSU Protection Services, said his staff would be working around the clock during the tournament. "It starts at the airport, picking up clients and escorting them throughout the visit," he said. Tommy Meiring, a co-director of Legosec security, said his bookings almost tripled after the 100-day celebrations. He said some foreigners have asked about terror attacks and others requested overnight duty services at hotels. Shots fired at Jo'burg World Cup commuter buses (AFP) – 21 hours ago JOHANNESBURG — Shots were fired at Johannesburg's new public buses introduced for the World Cup on Friday but passengers escaped unharmed, police said on Saturday. "Four occupants in a sedan shot at a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) bus last night (Friday) but no one was injured," police spokesman captain Katlego Mogale said. Friday's shooting was the third such incident involving the BRT. Days after its launch last August a policeman and a passenger were shot on a bus travelling to Soweto township on the outskirts of Johannesburg. A third passenger was injured in March. The new public transport system connecting Soweto and Johannesburg has angered the mafia-like minibus taxi industry that dominates the city's commuter routes. The taxis fear they will be put out of business by the sleek modern buses. Protests by taxi operators often turn violent, while rival fleets have waged deadly turf wars over their routes. President Jacob Zuma had to delay the BRT's launch to try to win over the taxi industry, preventing the use of the buses at the 2010 World Cup curtainraiser Confederations Cup tournament last June. Since then, the government has pressed ahead, seeing the buses as the first step in overhauling the nation's public transport. |
Kulula cabin crew are clearly keeping their inflight humour fresh.
On a recent flight from Cape Town, the safety instructions included this gem: "In the unlikely event of Bafana Bafana winning the World Cup or the cabin being depressurised, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling." |
evanb
If these tournaments are not worth it why do so many countries want to host it? Why do Australia still do it after so many major sporting events in the last few years (Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Rugby World Cup, F1 Grand Prix, etc)? Is there something they have not worked out? Yes, it costs lots of money, but it has a long term benefit. The politicians know that the voters want the WC/Olympics in their own country due to the common mis-perception that it is an honour. They also know that thousands of companies and people (themselves included) will benefit financially from the event. They also know that thousands of people (themselves NOT included) will have to pay for it and be lied to and that they will never find out the truth. That is the same whether it's the UK or ZA. On the point about regular visitors not travelling during the games consider also, a friend of mine in CPT told me last August that her son and all his chums had 'booked' the 'Hotel of Mother' and were going to be sleeping half a dozen to a room. Their flights were already booked but they won't show up in the hotel bookings. Capetonian Re: Kulula = :ok: |
Anyone got details on the Thomas Cook Charters, or any other charters? What aircraft will LAN use... A340's? Aeromexico B777 perhpas?
Moore pointed out that a large number of Latin American airlines, including AeroMexico, LAN Chile and TAM from Brazil, are putting on special charter flights during the World Cup. Surprisingly, with 13 European countries taking part in the tournament, few airlines from the region are adding flights to their schedules, apart from Air France. The airline recently introduced the 538-seat Airbus A380 on the Paris-Johannesburg route, which it will use for its daily flights. During the tournament, Air France will add an extra three flights a week using a Boeing 777. The other big European carriers, Lufthansa and British Airways, will not be adding any additional capacity to their already extensive flights. However, travel group Thomas Cook has been given the rights to operate charter flights from London . Emirates, the official World Cup airline, has not added any additional capacity. “We have seen good demand over the World Cup but as yet there has been no need to add extra flights,” said Fouad Caunhye, Emirates regional manager in southern Africa. Australian carriers have not added aircraft to their South African routes. Qantas will add a special flight from Melbourne to Johannesburg only on May 26, when Australian fans can join their team on their way to the World Cup. |
Kulula.com marketing strikes gold:
A South African budget airline has pulled its tongue-in-cheek advert after a Fifa complaint that it infringed its trademark during the 2010 World Cup. kulula.com's ad described the firm as the "Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What". It also had pictures of stadiums, vuvuzelas and national flags. But Fifa said the airline could not use the symbols - even the word "South Africa", kulula.com's spokeswoman said. Fifa, however, said the images taken together were "ambush marketing". 'Pushing boundary' "For the record, FIFA did not tell Kulula that they could not use soccer balls, or the word 'South Africa', or the Cape Town stadium, or the national flag or vuvuzelas," said a statement from football's world governing body. It was the combination of these elements which were banned, the statement said. Fifa said the advert breached South African law "by seeking to gain a promotional benefit for the kulula brand by creating an unauthorised association with the 2010 FIFA World Cup". They may have been forced to pull out the ad, but hitting the news they already got more visibility anyways :ok: |
Well done Kulula.com! They have certainly received a lot of excellent advertising and even more sympathy from those who are fed up with abusive organisations such as FIFA and the Olympics.
In 1988 the Olympic bullies tried it with Olympic Pizza in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Fortunately the restaurant in question had been in business since the fifties, before the COC/IOC had trade marked the term "Olympic". Judge told the COC/IOC to get lost and pay the restaurant's costs. One of the funnier statements at the hearing was the restaurant owner (a Greek) asking why they were not suing the Greek government to change the name of Mount Olympus. Here's a link to an interesting article on ambush advertising for the recent Vancouver Olympics: 'Olympic ambush' |
The Lufthansa A380 will celebrate its first long-haul flight in style with an array of special guests on board: The special flight operated by Lufthansa’s new flagship on Sunday, 6 June, will be carrying the German team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The A380, with flight number LH2010 on the Frankfurt-Johannesburg route, leaves Frankfurt Airport at 20.30 hours and will arrive in Johannesburg at 8.15 hours local time. In addition to the team, DFB trainers and assistants, around 150 soccer fans will also be making the journey on the A380. |
Now the Private Jets!
As of mid-March, at least 100 aircraft had booked to arrive at the company’s Lanseria FBO during the tournament, and another 50 at its Cape Town facility. ExecuJet Aviation South Africa managing director Ettore Poggi is expecting many more to knock on his door in the next few weeks. To date, most of the early bookings have come from the U.S., South America and Europe, he said. |
Air Berlin ops 14 charter flts into the country at various dates over the World Cup with A330s
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Surprisingly large amount of capacity left on flights in/out of SA during this period. The whole thing seems to be falling flat.
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Where are they going to park all these aircraft. The apron at Lanseria is already full on a daily basis:ugh::ugh::ugh:.
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THAI will operate the route with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft configured with 292 seats - 30 in Royal Silk Class and 262 in Economy Class. Flight TG703 departs Bangkok at 01:15 to arrive in Johannesburg at 07:30 the same day. The return flight, TG704 departs Johannesburg at 13:40 to arrive in Bangkok at 05:55 the following day. |
Tutu. He say........Reported in Guardian. May 17th.
"I believe people live on more than just bread. We will be able to say we have done it. It is the first time this prestigious tournament has been held on the African continent, and therefore important for who we are, for our self-esteem as a continent and as South Africans. Infrastructure that has been developed will benefit us well after the World Cup has come and gone." |
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Anyone got details on the Thomas Cook Charters, or any other charters? What aircraft will LAN use... A340's? Aeromexico B777 perhpas? See you in Jo'burg :ok: |
^^ Any schedules around for the LAN flights to South Africa?
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I don't see any LAN flights (if you mean LAN Chile?).
AR are operating a series of flights with the 744, from 08JUN - 12JUL between EZE and JNB. |
Any schedules around for the LAN flights to South Africa? |
Great, thanks!
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The booking numbers are well below expectation, and if we were hoping for last minute booking, it might not realize with news like this spreading around the world 2 weeks before kick off.
Amnesty report slams SA: News24: South Africa: News |
How can they get it so wrong? This is only one stadium. It will cost R17 mil. a year in the upkeep of the stadium in Durban alone, no wonder the Natal Sharks Rugby Board said "No Thank You"
Soccer City R1bn over budget: Sport: Sport: 2010 World Cup: Tournament News |
More updated figures
FIFA is a business, not the welfare. The South Africa tax payer is going to be paying for a long time. Danny Jordaan and his lieutenants are the only one's smiling.
World Cup 2010: Fifa forced to give South Africa extra cash to ensure tournament ready - Telegraph |
Looks like the Colombian team have already had a little taste of what the future holds. Hotel staff went through their kit and helped themselves to cash.
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Perhaps now would be the time, in the interests of true racial harmony, to start a thread entitled:
'African Antics.' The word 'African' in this case referring to the continent. Antics in English means goings on. So it is quite permissible hyperbole? |
Fifa have had to inject a further £67 million into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to ensure the hosts are ready for the start of the tournament. |
Some might suggest perhaps that there are no more nice Maseratis than there are non reflective gentlemen.
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As an African born pilot who lives abroad but often visits Africa, I find it disturbing how we are all so negative about the World Cup. I have taken leave and will be watching 3 games in South Africa and I am sure a wonderful world cup will be hosted but if everyone is so pessimistic we are setting ourselves up for trouble. We should unite as Africans and try and show the world that we are capable of hosting such a spectacle.
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Happy 100th Birthday South Africa!
(Union of South Africa formed on 31 May 1910.) Wouldn't it be nice to have Air Force fly-pasts to celebrate, maybe even some aeroplanes in a '100' formation? (It has been done... I know, I was in it!) That would be a very nice 'kick off' to the forthcoming World Cup... (and a very nice excuse for someone to fly some aeroplanes and the public to enjoy seeing them!):) |
CaptGondwe,
It's not not a question of being negative, it's a question of priority's. I am an African, my family have been here for almost 400 years. My passport says I am African and the European Community will not give me a passport as they say I am not European. As you say you only visit Africa occasionally I take it you don't live in Africa, although your location say Malawi. Let's forget about the "touchy, touchy, feelly, feelly" niceness. The country and the continent have bigger issues to worry about then a Soccer World Cup that will bring wealth to FIFA and a selected few, while dragging the tax payer deeper down. The Soccer World Cup will NOT generate LONG TERM job's, or make a profit. Olympics and World Cup's are for prestige and bragging rights for developed country's , we need school's, hospitals, teachers, doctors and the like's. If you watch the movie Invictus you will see the hopes and the dream that Pres. Nelson Mandela had, and that we all shared with him. Sadly today they are singing "bring my machine gun" and "kill the farmer" from the public stage, not good for nation building or for the continent. The fact that Bafana Bafana did not qualify for the World cup, and is only there as the host nation, don't help a lot to motivate me to support them. I am the kind of guy that if you want my support it have to be on merit and performance. May the best team win and may Africa find something more substantial to build our hopes on after this corporate event that is the Soccer World Cup. |
ByAirMail : You hit the nail on the head there, pretty much as I said in posts 33 and 35.
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Can't you guys just put all the politics aside for just 30 days and enjoy the greatest sporting event on earth hosted in our country!:D
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porra, it's not just politics, it's principles and responsibility. "Yes, I know it's blood diamonds, but I cannot resist the glitter."
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Sure - politics aside-
It's a complete rip off of the South African tax payer for the benefit of, among others, FIFA and Julius Malema, whose construction corruption needs little introduction. The national football team is not good enough to qualify. FIFA have described the SA medical disaster cup plan as a disaster and the longer term benefits to the infrastructure are open to questioning especially when you consider the number of unemployed young men who will suddenly be dumped upon the urban environment. Forgive me please for being somewhat jaded-and all that aside-professional football is a noisesome prostituted affair where no man's team is his own country and the fans of which, in general, seem to behave as though they belonged in camps rather than being allowed to inflict themselves upon the public victims of their anti social behaviour. Perhaps there will be sufficient Eskom power cuts and cold winter weather to take the steam out of the alcohol fuelled excesses. |
Porra :If only it were about sport, then yes (personally I wouldn't enjoy it as I loathe football and everything that surrounds it) perhaps some people could enjoy it.
It is very much a political statement at the expense of the tax payer and the general public, and that is regrettable, to put it mildly. The likelihood it passing off with out major logistical glitches is negligible, what is of greater concern is that it is almost inevitable that many people will be the victims of crime of one sort or another. I can only hope that this will be what is considered in SA to be 'petty' meaning it will only be theft and scams. |
That rather a little bit begs the comment that as the only victims of crime are likely to be football fans and as they are not the flavour of this lifetime, who cares, as, in the case of their victimisation by criminals, they will not be likely to return to the beloved country?
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Sjoe, u guys have a lot of time on ur hands!
Now - where's the YAWN smilie...? |
Porra
Porra, you got involved in a debate and that's all you can come up with??
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Is it the desert defence?
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these are the people that's going to bring us all that money and soccer happiness.
Cops intercept Eng hooligans: Sport: Sport: 2010 World Cup: National News |
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