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Buffalo City Municipality’s plans to achieve 2010 base camp status for the city received a shot in the arm when two senior diplomatic officials paid welcome visits to East London recently, writes Dominic Peel.
The municipality, in co-operation with the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (Dsrac) and the Office of the Premier, recently held important discussions and informal site inspections.
The objective was to try and convince participating nations in the World Cup to use the city as base camp and training venue for 2010.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Peter Budd, who toured the city at the weekend, was accompanied by BCM director executive support services Vuyo Zambodla, 2010 project manager Roy Young, 2010 provincial strategic manager Gogo Manqoyi and Bafundi Makhubalo from Dsrac..
Budd said his brief was to evaluate the city as both a base camp and a holiday destination for supporters.
“Football Australia are still weighing up their options and although it looks like they will prefer to base the team at altitude, the draw in December will be the deciding factor.”
Budd added that SA’s hosting the World Cup offers “a great chance to enhance relations between the two countries”.
“This is an opportunity to strengthen people to people as well as political relations with South Africa… we accept that previously not enough focus was given to South Africa.”
The Slovakian Republic Ambassador to South Africa, Ladislav Straka, paid a visit to the city on Monday.
Joined by a team of Slovak investors, Straka – who was a guest of Premier of the Eastern Cape Noxolo Kiviet – held talks with Zambodla, Young and manager of international relations in the Office of the Premier Oyama Makalima on the possibilities of East London meeting their base camp requirements.
After a brief tour of the city, Ambassador Straka indicated that East London looked very favourable and that he would air his views at a pending meeting with the Slovak Football Association.
So the question’s not “if” but which team will base themselves here in Emonti. Which team would you like to see come and stay with us? Blog and tell us!
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sorry DD not DA
having done a fair amount of travelling, USA, France, Mozambique, Botswana, (few others) lived in Zim, SA, now Aus and hoping to still get to Italy, Zambia (yes Zambia) and Kiwi land, I think it is very presumtious to call people from other countries arrogant unless you have visited or lived there. Yes there are some Aussies who are exceptionally arrogant, but then there are those from SA equally arrogant, but having been to France and can honestly say they were the hardest and most arrogant of the lot.
Sorry DA, but media portrayal has a lot to do with it, and unless you meet people it is best to only then decide then, not based on what is written in a newspaper, magazine or what comes across on the television..
Good luck EL, hope you get a few countries who make their home bases there for 2010, will be great for tourism, great for image and a grand experience.
I want Slovakia…..I think it will create great publicity for our city since its their first time to qualify in the world cup.
Gavin,
You have already exported all your criminals Down Under. Please tell the Barmy Army that our dislike for the Aussies matches mine and yours dislike of our different English football clubs.
And than i still have’nt brought Larry into the equation.
Well why not invite both teams to base themselves here. We are not a tiny dorp. We can accomodate them and it will be wonderfull to have so many foreigners visiting our lovely city.
Lets hope we can clean up the CBD and other areas and fill in a few thousand of the potholes before then!
Slovakia!!
Why?
: It is a landlocked country and they will love the sea and lifestyle here;
: They will be thrilled by our wildlife – zoo’s are a poor comparison;
: They will enjoy the “African” experience as Slovakia is European without being jaded and world weary as western Europeans tend to be.
The Aussies….. with their arrogance and little press games – no thanks.
The English… with their soccer hooligans and the Barmy Army – NO thanks.
PADDY O’SEKOE, if England use EL as their base-camp the football ‘Barmy Army’ will invade and your wish about mini-skirts shall be granted. BUT BE WARNED….women with thighs like Os Du Randt and legs that haven’t seen the sun for five summers are not pretty. Even after 10 pints !!
Not which, any…oh wow, they are sure to spill over and visit us here in paradise, we will start cleaning up 
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