World Cup 2010 Blog

By Bathandwa Mbola

Johannesburg -The Johannesburg City Parks in collaboration with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) are to deploy 34 additional park officers to its parks.

City Parks, on Tuesday, announced that the 34 new officers will be an addition to the existing 30 parks wardens which are currently operating in the policing of the city’s by-laws in parks, cemeteries and open spaces.

“Growing urbanisation is resulting in increasing transgression such as vagrancy, illegal dumping, tree felling, illegal use of parks, unleashed dogs, loud noise and littering,” the organisation said in a statement.

City Parks said the initiative is part of its responsibility to contain these contraventions and is a partnership which is aimed at developing healthier, safer and vibrant open spaces.

Meanwhile, the City of Joburg has identified three venues to be used as fan parks during the tournament.

These will assist those soccer fans who may not have tickets to watch 2010 FIFA World Cup matches.

Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown will be the official FIFA World Cup fan park, while Innes-Free Park in Sandton and Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown have been set aside as additional public viewing facilities.

The fan parks will be organised by the City, the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) and FIFA which will be jointly responsible for the set up and necessary infrastructure.

Mary Fitzgerald Square was picked as the official fan park because of the site’s centrality and accessibility.

Located in Johannesburg’s cultural hub, Newtown, it has already been used as a fan park during local soccer matches.

In 2010, the square will be turned into a huge fan park where spectators will be able to watch all 64 matches of the world cup tournament. Other entertainment for the whole family and food and beverages will also be available.

Sandton’s Innes-Free Park will cater for fans from the north of Johannesburg, including Alexandra, Ivory Park and Diepsloot.

Innes-Free Park is easily accessible from the M1 highway and offers unbroken views of the Sandton skyline.

The size of the facility lends itself to large events - music concerts, motor shows, arts and culture exhibitions and other outdoor shows.

Walter Sisulu Square, on the other hand, will cater for people from areas like Soweto, Eldorado Park and Orange Farm in the south.

The square is surrounded by an upmarket hotel and plenty of entertainment hotspots.

To make sure that the fan parks meet its standards FIFA, together with the country’s LOC has established a fan park project group.

It will look into the overall project management and co-ordination of all fan parks in the country and oversee the establishment of standards and guidelines. - BuaNews

Source: BuaNews