The residents of Polokwane and the Limpopo Province will greatly benefit from the infrastructure developed in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, long after the tournament has finished. In preparation for the World Cup games the City of Polokwane undertook a number of development stimulating projects from building the mega stadium to the world class roads.

In addition to the New Peter Mokaba Stadium which was constructed to the tune of R 1, 3 Billion, the Municipality has also constructed over 16 roads in the Municipality, built a state-of-the-art bridge, to make the City of Polokwane a world class Host City.

Park ‘n Ride facilities

Two Park and Ride facilities have been constructed in the City to allow spectators to park their vehicles in safe places and use public transport match venue and the fan park. This has helped to alleviate traffic congestions in the stadium’s precinct during the games. These facilities have been constructed at Nirvana and the Gateway International Airport. These facilities will also be used in future when the new stadium will be hosting other events.

Intelligent Transport System

One of the noteworthy projects which have been accelerated by the 2010 World Cup is the Intelligent Transport System. The Municipality has undertaken this project to improve signal traffic control and management. A total of 35 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have been installed at strategic points throughout the City, using a 20km optic fibre network to connect them. Using these cameras, the Control Centre will monitor the flow of traffic at different times of the day and control the flow of traffic.

More than 50 intersections have been upgraded to comply with the South African Road Traffic Signal Manual to improve on the visibility of the signals. About 80 new controllers have been installed to assist in the synchronization of the traffic signals. These projects are aimed at improving traffic flow and alleviate congestion in the Central Business District (CBD). The installation of the CCTV Cameras will also help to detect criminal elements and help enforcement agencies in their endeavours of fighting crime.

Overhead Bridge

A gigantic bridge that connects 2 parts of the City has been erected on Hospital and Blaauwberg Streets. According to the Executive Mayor of Polokwane Municipality, Mr. Thabo Makunyane, this bridge represents ‘dismantling the effects of apartheid’ in the City. He says, the railway-line has always portrayed, according to repressive laws, ‘a part of town which is predominantly black and white.’

The bridge which was built to the tune of over R 60 Million will provide easy access to motorists travelling to Seshego and the Bus Terminus, alleviating traffic congestion on Rissik and Devenish Streets on Nelson Mandela. The bridge also features walkways on both sides for pedestrians.

Public sculpture

A 15 metre sculpture – which is an impressive work of art – has been erected on the Nelson Mandela/N1 Traffic Circle next to what is known as Motor City. The R 3, 5 Million sculpture is said to be amongst one of the highest monuments in Africa. When launching the sculpture, the Executive Mayor was boastful about the striking features of the statuette and indicated that the ‘work of art should become in Polokwane, what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, what the Statue of Liberty is to New York’. According to Mr. Makunyane the sculpture should be of sentimental significance to people travelling into Polokwane from the N1 South direction. “People must feel at home by merely seeing this sculpture”, he quipped. Plans are in the pipeline for Council to make pronouncements on the new name for the sculpture.

City beautification

As a Host City, the Municipality has also developed a comprehensive programme through which strategic locations like entrances into the City, Parks and Open Spaces throughout the City will be decorated. The Municipality’s Greening and Beautification Programme was prepared in such a way that would render the City attractive and worth visiting by the multitudes of fans that came for the 2010 World Cup Games.

As part of the 2010 Legacy Projects, the Municipality will also establish the ‘green belt’ which will stretch from Flora Park, to the banks of the Sterkloop River banks – via the Goseame Dam – towards the Polokwane Bird Sanctuary. The ‘green belt’ will be characterised by the planting of indigenous trees, shrubs and ground covers. Major routes which had an impact on the 2010 World Cup activities were prioritised for the greening and sidewalk developments. This also included the rehabilitation of flower beds throughout the City.

Waste Management

As part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Legacy Projects, the Municipality has developed a comprehensive Waste Management Plan. According to the plan the Municipality has acquired an additional 800 wheelie bins which have been placed at the New Peter Stadium, the Fan Mile and all the new premises within the City. A total of 100 000 pole litter bins have been procured and will be placed in the City and other satellite areas for pedestrians. The first 50 000 have already been rolled-out in the City and surrounding areas and the remainder will be distributed during this financial year. Over 400 pavement bins have also been placed in the CBD to prevent littering.

The purchasing of new Refuse Trucks, Tipper Trucks and Front End Loaders is also an indication of the Municipality’s commitment to deal with issues of illegal dumping. The bulk of the financial resources have been directed on maintenance of services and facilities for this financial year. Waste collection programme is still on schedule and our teams are always on site for collection. The Municipality have just concluded conducting interviews for additional Supervisors to monitor the teams that are cleaning the streets in the City, Seshego and Mankweng.

The number one challenge on littering remains consumer education. The tendency is of littering is most prevalent in areas that are furnished with bins. In addition to these Municipal endeavours, a new Service to manage and operate the landfill site.

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Issued by Comms and PPU Phuti Lekganyane
Tel: 015 290 2111
Cell: 076 581 4616