Go for the gold in the games

HE Commonwealth Games in 2022 provides Durban with a unique opportunity. For starters it sets a deadline. We’ve got about seven years to be that great city that we have promised to be. And if the truth be told, we are already almost there.

We don’t need to build any sporting facilities because everything we need is within a 2.5km radius of Moses Mabhida Stadium.

We will have to upgrade some of the facilities, but residents will enjoy these improvements long after the games have finished.

A new Athletes Village will be built at Cornubia, but it will be done using money that has already been budgeted for housing. And once the games are over those units will be sold to moderate income earners.

We’ve been talking about upgrading our transport system for some time. And no doubt the games will provide us with the impetus to ensure this gets done.

Of course, playing host will cost money. But when we invite people to our homes, we don’t just factor in the rands and cents value of a cup of tea or a meal.

We balance that with the value our guests bring. And those who will attend the games, as athletes or spectators, will add value.

Simply put there will be more money circulating in Durban. And more money means greater opportunities, be it finding a job or increasing turnover.

But the opportunities go beyond money. The games will bring our city, our province, our country and our continent closer.

Those who drew up the bid document were right when they described Durban as a “vibrantly tapestried city” – “many worlds in one”.

But the scars of apartheid have not washed away as easily as the ocean washes away footprints on our beaches.

We continue to live separate lives until moments like the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2010 Fifa World Cup bring us together.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gives us another rare opportunity at national unity. And we would be foolish if we didn’t grab it.

Our focus should not be on why we shouldn’t host the games. It should be on how we capitalise on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Halala our 2022 Commonwealth Games bid, Halala!

T