South African born Patrice Motsepe will pursue a second term as President of the Confederation of African Football when elections take place next year. The CAF announced on Friday from Cape Town. Motsepe a billionaire mining magnet was elected unopposed in March 2021 after emerging as the preferred candidate of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“Following requests from numerous CAF member association presidents, zonal union presidents and key stakeholders, the CAF president, Dr Patrice Motsepe has finally agreed to stand as a candidate at the CAF presidential elections scheduled for March 2025,” said a brief statement on the CAF website. CAF did not provide details on who had asked Motsepe to stand again but it has become commonplace at both FIFA and CAF for candidates seeking re-election to solicit supporting letters. No other candidates have declared their intention to stand for the leadership of the sport in Africa, although the deadline for nominations is four months before the date of elections.
The management of running a sports federation, particularly a soccer federation can be very stressful. Although FIFA head Infantino may choose to nominate the candidate he believes to be the most competent and dynamic individual for the job, the job should be open to other candidates from across the continent subject to an independent examination of their qualities by an independent committee. No doubt when Gianni nominated Motsepe for the position a vetting process was already conducted and Motsepe was believed to have the skills necessary to run the CAF. However, the time for change is now, African nations should have more say in the vetting process concerning who should run their soccer confederation.
The 62-year-old Motsepe was the first Black African to be included on Forbes’ list of billionaires and according to the magazine has a net worth of $3 billion. He has been involved in football since 2003 when he took a stake in the South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, later taking ownership and spending millions on players to help them become African champions in 2016. He was handpicked by Infantino to run African football after the previous president Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar was banned for corruption. Motsepe is the seventh president in the history of African football’s governing body since its formation in 1956.
Soccer ownership and management is riddled with corruption around every angle. The same is true about any international organization or institution. The decision to choose Motsepe after the scandalous presidency and leadership of his predecessor shows Gianni to be invested in having competent and intelligent leadership with the knowhow to lead African Soccer. Concerning the matter of supporting letters candidates may receive the backing of any leading figure with the organization but this should not be done to solicit favouritism. These letters should be made available to the public to see. It is also possible that other candidates who are interest in the position will emerge over the four-month period. May the best candidate win.
Meanwhile on the local front Moses Mabhida Stadium is being set to undergo a R236 million upgrade. The lavish upgrade will introduce numerous new features in the hopes of making the stadium a premier tourist attraction.
The versatile basket-shaped stadium frequently serves as a venue for local Premier League finals. This year, the Moses Mabhida Stadium hosted the Nedbank Cup quarter-final and the MTN 8 Cup, attracting ~ 60,000 fans. A few months ago, the council approved R236 million to rehabilitate the stadium which has been in existence for 15 years, explained Xaba at a media briefing on 24 October 2024. Mayor Cyril Xaba conducting an oversight visit to the stadium. “We are introducing these features to make our iconic stadium one of the must-see sites in the city,” he added in hopes of reigniting tourism in eThekwini.
The upgrades include:
- Enhanced viewing platform with a 60% larger floor area and a cantilevered glass floor for an “air walk” experience
- Redesigned sky car with extended travel time and accessibility for individuals with disabilities
- Upgrades to the Big Swing for improved access to the launch platform
- New Zip Line ending at People’s Park for post-adventure refreshments
- Compression ring walk offering panoramic views and sea-facing bungee jump options
Moses Mabhida is a Durban and South African land mark. It was originally built to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and has been used since then not only to host various soccer tournaments and leagues but also as a tourist attraction. This is why the stadium when it is not used for hosting soccer tournaments has all these amenities from the Zip Line to bungee jumping to Cable carts. Mayor Cyril Xaba hopes the upgrades will attract more tourists for the upcoming “festive season” this holiday. Tourism has notably been on the decline since the Covid 19 epidemic and the rise in the crime rate has not helped matters.
- It is interesting that the upgrades will include a cantilevered glass floor, a glass floor that reduces the amount of weight of the people on the glass floor to weights anchored at each end.
- The Municipality wants to make Moses Mabhida a tourist attraction accessible to everyone including those with physical disabilities.
- Upgrades to facilities are necessary around the holiday period when more people will be visiting the city.
- A Zipline is being created for the more adventurous as well as directed to the People’s Park where they can find some thing to eat along the way.
- All these new built-in facilities and upgrades are there for the benefit of the tourists and are meant to create much needed jobs and income for the city. Tourists will also have a good view of the city from the compressed ring walk.
Summary
South African Mining magnate and Confederation of African Football President Patrice Mortsepe is pursuing a second term at the helm. The election will take place next year. The CAF announced on Friday from Cape Town. Motsepe a billionaire mining magnate was elected unopposed in March 2021 after emerging as the preferred candidate of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Meanwhile on the local front Moses Mabhida Stadium is being set to undergo a R236 million upgrade. The lavish upgrade will introduce new features such as a cantilevered floor, that is part of an enhanced viewing platform, a redesigned sky car with extended travel time and a zip liner among other amenities. These upgrades are meant to make the stadium a premier tourist attraction.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
