South Africa achieved a very important milestone two years ago when we hosted the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

We were proud when the event went off almost flawlessly, and every person who contributed to this great project deserves a part of the credit, including, to no small extent, members of our institute. In particular we have been left with a legacy of magnificent stadiums. A question that was often asked before the World Cup is how successful these stadiums would be after the FIFA caravan had folded its tents and gone, and now, even more pertinently, we are asking what we are left with – a monument to infrastructural planning or a collection of white elephants?

Towards the end of 2011 the minister of Sport was able to give an indication: the answer is that we are left, it seems, with some vibrant successes, but also a couple of large pale pachyderms. Among the latter were the Ellis Park and the Free State stadiums, which hosted 10 and 12 events respectively since the World Cup (and this must be balanced against the fact that both of them are South African Rugby Football Union Test Venues which host Currie Cup and Super Rugby franchises).

Apart from Royal Bafokeng and Cape Town stadiums with 29 and 25 events respectively, all the others, including Port Elizabeth, were between 12 and 19. At the other end of the scale, the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, despite not landing the Sharks rugby franchise, hosted over 90 events, more than three times the next best, Royal Bafokeng, in an impressive feat of marketing. Events have included music concerts, political and religious rallies, Twenty20 cricket and of course, soccer. Moses Mabhida has also successfully hosted the Top Gear Festival, a spin-off of the world-renowned BBC TV series. A track was laid inside the stadium, and adjacent streets were closed to form a circuit on which Top Gear displayed a range of events and cars, including Formula 1 demonstrations.

It is this sort of imaginative cooperation between municipalities, marketers and promoters that will ensure the success of these stadiums.

 

IMESA and CESA 2012 Biennial Project Excellence Awards

I am pleased to confirm that entries are open for the IMESA and CESA 2012 biennial Project Excellence Awards.

As advised on the institute’s website, the general objectives of the awards are to:

• give recognition to well-engineered civil engineering projects for infrastructure
• portray the art and science of civil engineering for infrastructure to the general public
• illustrate how the profession finds answers to challenging infrastructure engineering problems.

Award categories are:

• structures and buildings
• water/wastewater
• roads/stormwater
• environmental
• communityupliftment.

I encourage members to submit entries. These awards are the shop window not only of the entrants and winners, but of the institute as well. Entries and supporting documentation and material must be submitted by 31 July. Winners will be announced at the annual conference in October.