It’s a Win for Durban as we are announced the 2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES Host City!!
All Eyes are on Durban!! To loud cheers, singing and dancing, Durban was announced as the host City for the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, 2 September 2015. As soon as the announcement was made, Municipal Manager Sibusiso Sithole and the more than 2 000 people that had gathered at George Campbell School of Technology to watch the televised live broadcast from Auckland, New Zealand, broke out in song.
We want to thank all our followers and to celebrate Durban Winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games Bid, we are giving away these awesome I Love Durban T-shirts, Silk Pashminas and Candles. To win all you need to do is fill in the form below:
Council speaker Logie Naidoo, eThekwini Municipality Executive Committee Member Zandile Gumede, several stakeholders and about 1 500 pupils from various Durban schools savoured the moment by cheering, screaming and hoisting their 2022 Commonwealth Games branded caps and flags.
Clad in his national sports colours, a beaming Sithole thanked President Jacob Zuma, Premier Senzo Mchunu, Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee leadership for placing their faith on the City. “We believe that we have hit the jackpot once more. We are under no illusion thought that this decision comes with serious responsibilities and expectations,” said Sithole, adding that the pre-bidding process was just the beginning.
More work still needs to be done and the City would draw on its recent experiences in hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup, he said.
While an event of such magnitude comes with many benefits, Sithole said City officials and leaders must not deceive themselves or the people of Durban with these benefits. “We need to be alive to the reality that there will be no gains without sweat. Such Games require careful planning and tight budget controls to make sure that we avoid optimism bias, and cost overruns,” he said. The City will now rally all communities across different racial, political and cultural backgrounds to ensure that Durban and the country is united in one superordinate goal-to deliver the most impressive, colourful Commonwealth Games imbued with the African spirit of Ubuntu.
After the announcement eThekwini Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo said: “We will be hosting these Games on behalf of the African continent which is about one billion people. It is history in the making, as these Games will be coming to the African continent for the first time. South Africa is under reconstruction and development, as we are building this new country which is non-racial, non-sexist and democratic.”
Speaking on behalf of Nxumalo, who left for New Zealand earlier this week with members of the eThekwini Municipality executive committee, Naidoo said the City is on track with preparations to host the major sporting event. The real work, said Naidoo, begins now that the City has won the bid. “What is important to note is that 80 percent of preparations are complete. However, we still have seven years to ensure that we are fully prepared to successfully host the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” he said.
The Games, which will cost R6.5 billion are expected to delivery up to R20 billion in outputs to the economy, which translates to an estimated R11 billion Gross Domestic Product growth. The more than 200 000 local and international visitors are expected to contribute up to R12 billion in direct expenditure. Durban will contribute about R500 million for the seven-year period before the Games begin. Pledging their support, various stakeholders said they would continue rooting for Durban.
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Dumile Cele said hosting of the games will help the City not only in 2022, but also the seven years leading to the games. “Winning this bid will raise the credibility of Durban as a host city for other big events and conferences raising the profile of Durban even further,” she said.
Cele said legacy projects of this nature have the potential to revolutionise the City with long term benefits to all rate payers – both commercial and residential. “There will be temporary and permanent jobs created and enhanced skills development through training that will be provided to locals as general workers before and during the games,” she said.
Prem Vayapuri from the provincial office Durban was no stranger to hosting successful events and tournaments. “We know that we will host the most successful Commonwealth Games ever, but we need to ensure that the performance from our athletics is on par with other competitors, “he said. Ningi Ngcobo from the provincial education department said she was proud to be a Durbanite. “Knowing that the young pupils we are teaching now will be representing our country come 2022 is very exciting,” she said.
The games ambassador, cricket legend Shaun Pollock, who won a medal during the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia said: “I am certain that other athletes from around the world will love our City, weather, food and will appreciate our world-class facilities.”
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