Vuvuzela South Africa

Ok so you think building a paper model of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is as exciting as watching paint dry? You’ll change your mind when you see this video.

World Cup Matches, Moses Mabhida Stadium

And as a proud Durbanite, may I boast that the 2010 World Cup matches that have been played in Durban, have gone really well. (I still think Durban was allocated too few matches – we should have got eight)

I’m not a hobby-ist kind of person, but when I watched the video of how to build a paper model of the Moses Mabhida  Stadium in Durban, that I have watched rise from the ground, I was fascinated.

Paperlandmarks.com has released a kirigami (cut-and-fold) model of the new Durban football stadium, designed by German architects Gerkan, Marg and Partners. Print, cut out, fold and assemble it without a glue! Requires 14 sheets of 250-300 gsm paper. Size when assembled: 8,7 x 6,6 x 2,3 inches / 22 x 17 x 6 cm

So if you want to make your own model of the Moses Mabhida stadium check out the link – and have a look around paperlandmarks awesome site – there are many other landmarks you can make as well.

Durban – Moses Mabhida Stadium Transport Plan – How to Get There

Moses Mabhida 2010 Stadium Progress (Written in September 2009)

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Today it is exactly 30 days before the 2010 World Cup kicks off. With Fabio Capello just having announced his provisional England squad and with teams already arriving in South Africa, there is bound to be a build of of people who are going to make last minute decisions.

I can tell you that yesterday it was 29C in Durban – this is why we are marketing our city as the warmest place during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I am sure there are still tickets available, but even if you cant get tickets, come over for the vibe – the Fan parks are going to be amazing.

Hout Bay, Cape Town

Cape Town – Fan Walk and Fan Park on the Grand Parade

Cape Town is going to have a Fan park on the Grand Parade and has established a special  2.4-km Fan Walk that will operate on the eight Cape Town match days, taking pedestrians safely from the CBD to the Cape Town Stadium, along a route filled with some of Cape Town’s best pubs, clubs, restaurant and retail experiences.

In Durban the main Fan Park will be right on the beachfront on Durban’s Golden Mile.

World Cup Accommodation

But what about World Cup accommodation, where can you stay when you come to these two popular holiday destinations?

South African Villa Rentals has two great choices for you – Villa Toich in Hout Bay and Toich Penthouse in Umhlanga – both are less than half an hour’s drive from all the action. And both are situated in picturesque coastal villages.

Lighthouse at Umhlanga Rocks

Villa Toich in Houtbay has six large en-suite bedrooms with studies and balconies overlooking spectacular sea or mountain views, enormous covered and open terraces, heated swimming pool, two lounges, dining room, spacious kitchen and conference room with breakout balconies.

The Toich Penthouse  in Umhlanga, near Durban (14 kms) is within walking distance of the beach, shops, hotels and restaurants.

For more information, availability and bookings take a look at South Africa Villa Rentals Website

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The Durban Beachfront Upgrade seems to be a much debated topic – will it be ready in time for the 2010 World Cup or not? I say Yebo!

By the time the visitors arrive for the World Cup, it will all be ready.

I’m just sick and tired of negativity and whinging. I’m also tired of people projecting their own frustrations and miseries in their lives on political parties/ officials/the government/ their rugby or soccer team/ their neighbours/ affirmative action, etc.

I know that South Africans are better than that.

I do see that South African flags are appearing all over the place, on rear view mirrors, on bakkies, hanging from garage doors, out of windows – it is great. One day we will learn to be patriotic like the Americans  and not talk our country  and city down at every opportunity.

Beautiful Promenade

Back to the Durban beachfront upgrade. I know it must have been a few months of hell for the businesses on the beachfront, but look what they are getting. That promenade is truly beautiful and one will be able to walk safely from the point to the Blue lagoon. It is a wonderful long-term investment that will pay off over and over again.

The parking and access is also going to be better and with buses and minibus taxis taken away off the actual beachfront the noise and congestion will be lessened.

From Harbour to Blue Lagoon

I wrote a post in 2009 Durban Beachfront Upgrade for 2010 World Cup where I said:

We have eight kilometers of beach from the harbour to the Blue Lagoon  in Durban and this revamp is going to remove all the structures and buildings that interfere with making it a smooth, clear and beautiful stretch of beachfront.

Sure there are some casualties and some people are whining once again about this and about that – as they are wont to do, but there is no doubt in my mind that the only way to get this job done is an integrated plan and to do it one-time – like it is being done now.

If you want to see more pics, take a look at my Durban Beachfront Upgrade pics on Flickr.

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Well it looks like Carlos Alberto Parreira is making headway with Bafana Bafana. They managed to score three goals at Moses Mabhida Stadium against Zimbabwe last night.

Bafana Bafana Magic

Although the game was no walkover for the South African National team, there were certainly moments of sheer Bafana magic. Bafana Bafana scored three second-half goals with Siphiwe Tshabalala handing the World Cup hosts the lead with a stunning set-piece. Thulasizwe Mbuyane scored the second after a sweeping attacking move and Lucas Thwala’s injury-time header completed the rout.

But the real magic of the night was the vibe in the Moses Mabhida Stadium, as thousands of Bafana Bafana fans and a few Zimbabwe fans walked for miles ( the parking was soooo far way) through the humid summer night, blowing their vuvuzelas, waving flags and making new friends.

Vuvuzelas of Every Size

Inside the Moses Mabhida Stadium the atmosphere was electric – vuvus of every shape and size; flags, and football shirt and t-shirts and caps got the singing dancing Bafana fans going.

The soccer, well the first half was not good – the second half showed promise. Our boys are going to work hard at their camp in Brazil.

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At last, I was there – walking into the Moses Mabhida Stadium where I could see the progress – it is breathtaking. Yes, this will be Durban’s football Stadium, but it will truly be a landmark, a must see attraction for visitors too.

And why would visitors want to spend their time at our 2010 World Cup Stadium?

Well, I know, I will take everyone to the 2010 Stadium because I have watched it from before it even happened. I watched them demolish the old soccer stadium and clear the ground and then begin with this one.

Moses Mabhida 2010 Stadium

I will also take my visitors to the Moses Mabhida Stadium because it will have shops and art galleries and restaurants and that amazing 350 m arch – well on the one side one can go up in a kind of cable car to a viewing platform (106 m above the pitch) and the other, with a harness, climb the stairs. And from here, you can see spectacular panoramic views over the ocean and the city. Half way up will be some kind of swing – I guess like a cross between a trapeze and a bungee, that the brave and daring can swing out over the stadium.

But coming back to the present, I visited the Moses Mabhida Stadium with City Manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe, International Relations head honcho Eric Appelgren and his right hand Shelley Gielink and a delegation from Durban’s Sister City’s – here for the annual Celebrate Durban week..

Multi Coloured Seating and Turf

Although the building is still going on all around, one can see that things are being finished off. The multi-coloured seats (with plenty of legroom) are in and the special turf has been laid.

According to the Durban 2010 website, because the pitch is designed to accommodate various sports played during different seasons, two types of grasses will be installed: Warm Season and Cool Season.

Pitch Design

The pitch has been design and built by Ibhola Lethu Consortium (ILC), which has been responsible for the pitch design at Coca-Cola Park (formerly Ellis Park Stadium), Johannesburg’s Soccer City, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, among others.

The Moses Mabhida (aka Durban Football or Soccer Stadium) Stadium will seat 70 000 roaring fans for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™, with 54 000 seats in its normal mode. It has the potential to expand to 85/90 000 seats to meet the requirements of large-scale events like the Olympic Games.

Fred Hatman Also Visited the Moses Mabhida Stadium

My friend, Fred Hatman also visited the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday. He is such a great writer; here is just a short extract from his post titled A Golden Day at Durban’s 2010 World Cup Stadium … in 2019.

“My mind fast-forwarded to June 2010 and the lip-smacking prospect of watching the likes of Steven Gerrard, Kaka and Lionel Messi perform their wizardry right here in the middle of Durban. My eyes glistened and closed and then I was strangely transported beyond this to a day in 2019. It is the 25th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic government and a tribute match is being played right here, right before my very eyes, in Durban’s World Cup stadium, now nine years old.

Moses Mabhida glowed bleach-white in the sub-tropical sunshine and the sky-sweeping arch continued to oversee the vibrancy and energy of our beautiful game. I was craning my head over the bouncing mass of the full-house crowd, trying to get a view of the world’s finest footballers celebrating the birth of the still-new South Africa.”

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