Stadium - Green Point

Green Point

Cape Town is building a new stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium will be in the suburb of Green Point, which the stadium is also named after. Fans will be a stone's throw from the ocean and the mountains of Cape Town will be the backdrop for matches. The location is ideal as it is a short walk from the transportation hub of the city. The new stadium precinct will be built on part of the land currently occupied by a golf course.

Upon completion, Green Point stadium will have a gross seating capacity of 70,000 and it is scheduled for completion by 2009.

Cape Town has another world-standard stadium, Newlands, but is primarily used as a rugby union stadium. The stadium has, however, hosted Tottenham Hotspur in 2003, as part of their South African tour.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa has offered the city the opportunity to build a multi-purpose international stadium that will be used for a variety of events after the tournament has left Cape Town's shores.

Facts

Name:	Greenpoint
City:	Cape Town
Construction:	new
Completion:	2009
Gross Capacity:	70 000

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Host Cities - Tshwane/Pretoria

Tshwane/Pretoria

Tshwane/Pretoria's rich and colourful heritage is reflected in the city's myriad of museums and monuments and is punctuated by contemporary arts and craft markets, making the city alive with a unique blend of new and old.

Tshwane/Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. Many embassies thus call this city their home.

The Union Buildings house the administration of the country and have also been the setting for all the presidential inaugurations of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. These sandstone buildings offer beautiful views over the city.

There is a lively culture in the city with a variety of museums, monuments, historical buildings and art centres. The Science and Technology Museum offers a tactile experience of science at work. The South African mint has a minting press dating back to 1892, which is still in operation. The city also offers township sleepovers with a five-star stay.

Church Square and the State Theatre often host international and national performances. There are also two nature reserves where visitors can view wildlife such as buffalo, antelope, cheetah, jackal, giraffe and sable.

History
The Ndebele people were the first people to settle along the Tshwane River, which was named after a Ndebele chief.

This would later become the site for Pretoria. In 1855, it became the first capital of the Zuid-Afrikaanche Republiek (ZAR), a territory claimed by the Dutch settlers in South Africa.

The Rivonia Treason Trial (1956-1961), which led to the prosecution of Nelson Mandela among others, was held in Pretoria. In 1994, the same accused would also be sworn into office as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

Pretoria is now part of the Tshwane, which was established on 5 December 2000. It incorporates 13 previous local authorities including Pretoria, Centurion, Akasia and Soshanguve, and the surrounding areas of Mabopane, Atteridgeville, Ga-Rankuwa, Winterveld, Hammanskraal, Temba, Pienaarsrivier, Crocodile River and Mamelodi as one administrative entity.

Football
Tshwane/Pretoria has long been a city synonymous with top professional football in South Africa and the breeding ground for many of the country's top players. Arcadia and Berea Park were the city's first professional sides. In later years Mamelodi Sundowns, Mamelodi United, Pretoria City and SuperSport United have kept up the trend.

Arcadia were triple winners in 1974 but it is Mamelodi Sundowns who have been the real pride of the city. They broke the Professional Soccer League record, winning the league five times in a row since 1988. Sundowns were also runners up in the 2001 CAF Champions League. They have been nicknamed 'the Brazilians' because of their blue and yellow kit.

Pretoria University has the largest sports excellence school in the country. They also have the highest number of female football players, producing exceptionally strong women's teams.

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Host Cities - Rustenburg

Rustenburg

Rustenburg in the heart of the savannah bushveld is a restful city. The city is in the North West Province, nestled at the foothills of the breathtaking Magaliesburg Mountains. The highest point in this mountain range is 1,852m above sea level and has been a tactical region for many battles for land during the early 1800s.

The region is rich in mineral wealth and boasts the most platinum mined in the world making it the platinum capital of the world. Mining, therefore, provides the most employment in the area.

Rustenburg is also 30 kilometres from the sensational Sun City, incorporating The Palace of the Lost City. Attractions at this resort include hot air balloon rides, The Valley of Waves and a 25-hectare jungle.

The Hartebeesport Dam, only 40 minutes from Rustenburg, is a getaway for many people, and the easy pace of life at the dam is a great place to unwind.

History
The Bafokeng people originate from this area. Bafokeng means 'people of the dew'. They are originally from the Bakwena people, and settled near in the area more than 200 years ago. The 36 ^th reigning monarch is King Leruo Molotlegi.

It has a strong Voortrekker (Dutch farming settlers) influence and was one of the first cities of importance in their history. In 1851, they named the city Rustenburg, which means 'place of rest'.

Football
Professional football is a novelty in the Rustenburg area. Garankuwa United play in the Mvela First Division and their home stadium is in Mabopane in North West Province. However, the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace and the Olympia stadium have been used by the national team and clubs to host matches.

Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows, Orlando Pirates, Silver Stars and Jomo Cosmos have all used the stadiums as alternate home grounds. In 1999, the South African League Cup final was played at the stadium for the first time with Mamelodi Sundowns beating Free Sate Stars 2-0.

In 2000, South Africa were victorious 4-0 against Mauritius in a COSAFA Cup game held in Rustenburg.

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Host Cities - Polokwane

Polokwane

This is the land of the upside down tree - the Baobab - the biggest tree in Africa. Polokwane is situated at the centre of Limpopo and borders three of South Africa's neighbours - Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is the economic and cultural hub of Limpopo and is attracting investments into the province.

The area around Polokwane is steeped in mythology and resonates with the sound of the ancient lands. It has seen the history of the Mapungubwe people who flourished during the Iron Age and Modjadji, the Rain Queen.

The Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum is a good introduction to the daily life of the dynamic Bakone people. The Bakone people are a highly sophisticated northern Sotho tribe.

The Polokwane Museum, housed in the historic Irish House, has interesting exhibitions including a history of the city and its environs. Here you will find artifacts from the Stone and Iron ages.

There are 4x4 adventure excursions and hiking trails in the Polokwane Game Reserve.

History
Polokwane has been part of the history of the Stone Age nomads, Iron Age settlements and European migrations.

The Mapungubwe people settled in this area 2,000 years ago. They traded in gold with the ancient civilizations of China, India and Egypt. The Mapungubwe World Heritage site is at the confluence of the Limpopo and Sashe Rivers and borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The site documents the civilization who lived in the area from 1000-1300AD.

Polokwane, previously Pietersburg, is the capital of Limpopo, the northern-most province of South Africa. Gold was first discovered in the area at Eersteling and the economy of the town flourished.

This was solidified 1886, when Pietersburg was named after General Petrus Jacobus Joubert, a leader of the Voortrekkers (first Dutch settlers in South Africa). The city was renamed Polokwane, which means 'place of safety'.

Football
Professional soccer first came to Polokwane in 1995 when Real Rovers were promoted to the top flight. There have been two other Limpopo Province-based sides who have competed at the highest level.

Dynamos were based in the Limpopo Province and have had undulating football seasons. They twice came up and down between the Premier league and first division league. Their premiership status has since been purchased by Amazulu in the 2006/2007 season.

Winner's Park is a Mvela League (First Division). The team has seemed to be struggling and ended 9 ^th in the 2005/2006 season.

The Peter Mokaba stadium holds a special memory for the 2006 African Football Player of the Year. In 2001, Didier Drogba made his debut for Côte d'Ivoire in a decisive CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification game. South Africa won the encounter 2-1, securing a place for Bafana Bafana in the 2004 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

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Host Cities - Nelspruit

Nelspruit

Mpumalanga means 'place where the sun rises' in SiSwati. With the unending view of rolling mountains from God's Window to the majestic scenes of the green hills contrasting with blue rivers at Blyde River Canyon, this is definitely a place the sun would not want to leave.

At the heart of the Mpumalanga Province is its capital, Nelspruit, located in the local municipality of Mbombela. The whole area invokes the idea of a 'Garden of Eden', with a flourishing fruit industry and countless waterfalls which drop from dramatic cliff faces. Wild horses roam freely in Kaapsehoop.

A few kilometres north of the small town of Middelburg lies the museum village of Botshabelo. It preserves the culture of the Ndebele, who belong to the large group of Nguni people. The Ndebele presumably moved around the 15th and 16th centuries from Natal to live here in a quasi-peaceful co-existence with other Nguni groups.

Nearby Pilgrims Rest is an old gold-mining town which has seems to have been forgotten by time. Also in the area is Komatipoort, which serves as a gateway to Mozambique.

Nelspruit is a good base for exploring the nearby Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, which incorporates the Kruger National Park (South Africa), Limpopo National Park (Mozambique) and Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe).

History
Nelspruit is named after the Nel family which settled in the area in 1905. The family farmed cattle in the area and eventually settled along the Crocodile River which runs through the centre of the province.

The nearby Sudwala caves became a place of Swazi legend. The dolomite caves were a safe haven for Prince Somquba, who sought refuge here from persecution. He eventually died, but the rest of the survivors sought refuge in the caves under the leadership of a tribal councilor named Sudwala.

Football
The town has had only one professional side, Dangerous Darkies, who spent two seasons in the top flight in the early 1990s, but just as quickly faded from view.

The most famous footballer to come from Nelspruit is the fullback David Nyathi, who played in Spain, Switzerland and in Italy's Serie A for Cagliari. He was a member of the FIFA World XI who played a match in Marseille as part of the festivities for the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw.

The nearby Witbank Spurs is a team plays in the first division Mvela Golden League. They escaped relegation in the 2005/2006 season, finishing fourth-bottom. Witbank Spurs had a more successful run during the 2006/2007 season, working their way up to fifth and giving the relegation zone a wide berth.

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