Mickeys

Cape Town – Construction workers have been working day and night to ensure that the country’s stadiums and surrounds are in tip-top shape for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

However what happens to these hard workers after the World Cup – will they keep their jobs? Will they reap the rewards of their hard labour? Zintle Makeng and Buhle Hlatshwayo hit the streets of Green Point to talk to construction workers outside the new Cape Town Stadium.

Phakamile Mbethana (55):
We are here in Green Point to install the electricity cables on Main Street. I’m not worried about what will happen to me when this contract comes to an end because we’ve been working here since March and it’s been great exposure and experience for me. I heard from the grapevine that we would be given tickets to go see some of the games that will be staged at the stadium during the World Cup but there have been no concrete developments in that regard.

Mboneli Madubula (31):
I am worried about where I’m going to work after this because in life there are no guarantees. Once the side pavements are all done, our job here will be done. Hopefully our contractor will keep us and find other work for us. Nobody told me anything about tickets for games or any other incentives linked to the Soccer World Cup so I don’t really expect to be rewarded in any way other than my wages.

John Ngobelo (54):
I don’t know what is going to happen to me after the job is done here. For now all we know is that we will be breaking for the festive season on 15 December and returning sometime in January 2010. The roads and the stadium must all be completed by June 2010. If our contractor doesn’t get jobs for us after this project then we will be jobless. No one promised us any incentive for our work besides our pay. I’m not expecting to go watch any games at the stadium next year.

Allen Hagile (38):
I’m not worried about being jobless come the World Cup next year. I’m hardly ever in short supply of construction work and if my contractor fails to get onto another project next year, I could always just do side jobs but I’m hopeful that something will come up the minute we finish our work on this site. I haven’t heard anything about getting tickets for any of the soccer games but it would be nice to sit in that stadium and be a part of all the action and glamour. I guess I’ll just have to watch it from home.

Mabhuti Taffeni (52):
Before we came to Green Point we were at various other sites in Cape Town. Our contractor has projects running across the country, many of which are not even linked to the Soccer World Cup. That puts us at ease in terms of finding job opportunities. I’m a permanent worker and have no fears of being jobless at the end of this project – I find that it is mostly the contract or casual workers who might be uncertain of their futures. Our boss did promise us tickets to see the first game that will be played here at Cape Town Stadium and I’m very excited about that.

Andrew Fanton, project director of Murray & Roberts/WBHO (contractor of the Cape Town Stadium):
Unfortunately we can’t employ everyone after the 2010 contract is over.  Our permanent staff will continue to have jobs after we hand over the contract to the City of Cape Town at the end of the year. However, the contracts for our casual members will be terminated. Yes FIFA did say it would be possible for the workers to get ticket to watch the game, however that has nothing to do with us, it would be a nice reward for them though seeing as they have worked very hard for the past 32 months.

Adie Theron, contractor – Civil 2000:
We have 45 workers working on the Green Point site alone, some are casuals and others are permanent. Most of them will not be out of jobs next year because we will move them to other sites around Cape Town that are unrelated to the world cup. But as far as I know, none of them will be getting tickets to the World Cup.

taken from News24