Durban 2022 Games in danger
DURBAN’s dream of hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games will die this week unless the government drastically overhauls its stance on staging the showpiece, sports administrators have warned.
They accuse Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula’s ministry of hijacking the process and say little progress has been made in talks with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Wednesday is the deadline for South African authorities responsible for Durban 2022 to appease the London-based CGF, although a decision will be announced much later, possibly only early in 2017.
SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Gideon Sam was doubtful of Durban’s chances. “[If] the issues that they’re asking us to reconsider are not negotiable, then I don’t think we are going to [get it],” he said yesterday.
There were three sticking points, according to a senior Sascoc official wanting to remain anonymous. One was the method of delivery. “The government here says all the monies will be in the various departments — health, the police and so on.
“So if you want security, it will come through from the police. So if you’re the LOC [Local Organising Committee], you’ll have to go knock on the door there . . .
“That’s not the delivery model of the CGF and they say [they] are never going to agree to that.”
The second issue was the relocation of the athletes’ village, as well as its downgrading to low-cost housing to be built by the Department of Human Settlements, said the sources.
The third element was about who was responsible for running Durban 2022, with government allegedly wanting the ministries of Sport and Recreation and Arts and Culture to drive the process.
Sascoc officials said the LOC was supposed to be spearheaded by the national Commonwealth Games Association — Sascoc in SA — with representatives from the various tiers of government.
“The DG [director-general of Sport and Recreation, Alec Moemi] says, ‘no, it’s going to be run by government’,” said one official.
A CGF official said the international body was unlikely to bend on these issues.
“From what I hear . . . if they [Durban] can’t come to the party, we will recommend that they postpone their bid.”
Sascoc spent nearly R120-million on its bid for the Games, awarded to Durban in September last year. The total capital cost of the Games was estimated at R6.5-billion with another R1.7-billion for operational costs; an economic impact report projected GDP growth of R11-billion.
But last month, the CGF general assembly said Durban 2022 had failed to meet several deadlines, namely making a payment of £1.5million (about R26.4-million); government signing the host city contract; establishing an LOC; and, underwriting of guarantees.
Mbalula said last month he was negotiating revenue streams with the CGF to maximise earnings.
Two Sascoc sources claimed the R8.2-billion budget for the delivery of Durban 2022 had been summarily slashed by Moemi who asked cabinet for a budget of R4.8-billion.
Moemi didn’t respond to the allegations against him, but said government would comment after the process.
“We can’t be commenting every step of the way about every little thing we do. It doesn’t work like that. We’ll negotiate in good faith.”