Prepping media for 2010 prelim-draw

This top-level briefing on Monday, comes ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw to take place in Durban on 25 November.

The event in the host city of Durban will draw over 3,000 delegates and journalists from the 204 countries which have confirmed their attendance.

"The main purpose of the briefing is to appraise Editors about salient issues regarding KwaZulu-Natal's 2010 plans as well as the Federation of International Football Association World Cup Preliminary Draw to be held in Durban on 25 November 2007," the Premier's office said.

The briefing will be attended by Premier Ndebele, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance and Economic Development Dr Zweli Mkhize, KwaZulu-Natal Director-General Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa, as well as eThekwini City Manager Dr Mike Sutcliffe.

KwaZulu-Natal will host 2010 matches and Confederations Cup matches in 2009, at the Moses Mabhida stadium.

Infrastructure preparations include the King Senzakhona International Airport, which will cost R6.8 billion.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium, is tipped to cost R2.2 billion.

Earlier this year, the Premier's Office said municipalities will have to define the Zulu brand and sell it to the international visitors coming to the World Cup preliminary draw.

The Zulu brand must be upheld through the courteous and royal treatment of guests at the airport, he said.

"When they arrive we must make sure they do not want to go back. The totality of their experience must be such that they will want to come back to our province in the time leading to 2010 and beyond," said Ndebele at the time.

"This will afford us an opportunity to position and showcase ourselves from the tourism and investment point of view.”

He said KwaZulu-Natal's participation in the Soccerex conference in November will be another opportunity to market the province to an international audience.

Soccerex is an international business-to-business soccer exhibition to be held in Johannesburg.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews