Selebi-Phikwe fails to tap into World Cup

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Friday June 18, 2010 00:00

Contrary to expectations, Selebi-Phikwe did not implement any of the recommendations that were made by the delegation the council sent to South Africa in July 2006 to attend a seminar on opportunities in the FIFA World Cup.

The council failed to upgrade the stadium, the airstrip and roads linking Selebi-Phikwe with South Africa's Limpopo Province by 2008 as was recommended. So far, nothing has happened due to budgetary constraints that saw some of the projects earmarked for NDP 9 being postponed.

Other recommendations were for the council to liaise with the Department of Tourism to map out a tourism plan for the region for the 2010 showpiece and beyond, as well as with Botswana Football Association, COSAFA and Limpopo's trade and investment body (its BEDIA equivalent) in order to establish the possibilities of establishing a fan park in Selebi-Phikwe.

The council was to submit a readiness programme for hosting practice matches, base camps and fan parks to coincide with the World Cup. It was to investigate Botswana's ICT infrastructure status for planned developments and liaise with BEDIA to incorporate Selebi-Phikwe in the marketing plan for Botswana. It was to have an action 2010 preparatory committee that would liaise with the Limpopo Province to monitor progress towards achieving the commercial goals, including issuing licenses to SMMEs, associated with the World Cup. The recommendations and tasks were approved during a full council meeting on August 30, 2006 on condition that they would be fulfilled.

The mayor of Selebi-Phikwe then, Amogelang Mojuta, said in an interview that the council is still looking at how it can benefit from the World Cup and still hopes the town can benefit from the football fest, though they are still waiting for the Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit to be up and running. 'I believe it is not yet too late,' Mojuta said. 'Our plans are developed and will be determined by the budget. I hope some of the projects will be incorporated in the diversification plan. We are currently trying to figure out how to carry out the diversification drive.'

In 2006, the government engaged the CSA Group to conduct a study on the potential for economic diversification of Selebi-Phikwe. Its report has been approved. The airstrip upgrading that was planned for 2007/8 financial year has been moved to the next financial year, while the stadium that was scheduled for 2008/9 financial year has not yet started. Mojuta says the town can benefit from the World Cup if there are proper sporting facilities and good road networks but points out that the Selebi-Phikwe/Martins Drift Road cannot be constructed by the council alone.

'Benefits from 2010 are not only for the council to explore,' he says. 'The business community must also look how they can benefit. I still hope that the council and all key stakeholders can do something. The diversification drive is the key element and I do not think it will be long before the diversification unit starts operating because most of the Limpopo recommendations are outlined in it.'

The Ministry of Local Government has started prioritising and the Phikwe Stadium is among projects to be refurbished to international standards, he says. However, a local businessperson believes that Selebi-Phikwe has not done anything convincing to benefit from the World Cup.

The general manager of Syringa Lodge, MC Murray, says there has not been any increase in bookings due to the World Cup. 'However, we have been experiencing a high number of customers in the bar because of our own efforts to attract soccer lovers,' says Murray. 'But it's only the locals.' His lodge has introduced FIFA merchandise for sale and beer promos. 'Otherwise there is nothing,' he says. 'Maybe we will see an influx of customers when the tournament ends.' The Manager Bosele Hotel, Nametsegang Seitshiro, says they too have not yet experienced any increased activity as a result of the World Cup. 'We cannot really say we anticipated much,' she says. 'We did not expect tourists in large numbers. It was a fifty-fifty situation.'

A council official says it is too late to expect any World Cup benefits because there is nothing tangible to show that the town was getting ready for the event. The Marketing and Communications Director of SPEDU, Wazha Tema, says he does not think Selebi-Phikwe can benefit when it has made no effort to do so. 'It was upon us to position ourselves well in order to benefit,' Tema says. 'It is too late to expect any change here.' However, he believes being the nearest country to South Africa, Botswana will get investment exposure in the long-term.

Since 2006, councillors here have tabled motions seeking to develop Selebi-Phikwe - which is only 350 kilometres from Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo Province - in readiness for the World Cup. In the same year, the council sent a delegation that included the mayor, the chairman of SPEDU and representatives of BCL MINE to South Africa. Another Selebi-Phikwe delegation went to Polokwane in March last year.

South Africa opened its borders for all African countries, especially its immediate neighbours, to attend seminars and other preparatory activities.

Addressing an issue of concern, the SPEDU report acknowledged that sulphur dioxide emissions from BCL Mine are a setback for the town, but said it is not a major concern since the emissions are within the World Health Organisations allowable limits and are not worse than emissions in developed countries.