Zimbabweans benefit from the World Cup tickets

On Monday 54 000 tickets were issued by Fifa to be given to the construction workers in the ten stadia to host World Cup in South Africa. The event took place at the home of soccer that is Soccer City each worker is to receive two tickets to watch the world cup matches. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in South Africa, workers organizations and Fifa came up with this package to assist those workers who could not afford to pay to watch the matches. The construction workers will be able to watch the matches on the stadiums they worked. To benefit from the tickets, the service or time spent on the construction site determines. The Zimbabwean interviewed the construction workers and ended up talking to ten Zimbabweans who were calling each other. Mongameli Ndlovu from Plumtree told The Zimbabwean that he was on cloud nine to see the world descending to South Africa and watch World Cup which he helped built. A proud Mongameli says, I have worked in this stadium (Soccer City) for three years as a general worker. I am happy to be part of the World Cup in this stadium I helped built with my hands. This has increased my interest in the World Cup and I will happily come and watch matches. Mpikelelo Dewa from Lower Gweru and other Zimbabweans says they are glad to be part of the workers who will get the tickets. The Zimbabweans says they are currently using the South African identity documents. The Zimbabweans who gave their Zimbabwean names says they know of other Zimbabweans in Durban and other world Cup stadiums who will benefit from this. Fifa, LOC and hosting cities will oversee the issuing of tickets so that the system is not abused. The South African Local Organizing Committee World Cup 2010 chairperson Dr Danny Jordan paid tribute to the workers while addressing the crowd on the same occasion. He says, two days ago it was workers day and today its a construction workers day. It is a day we recognize you and the promises we made being fulfilled. The stadia are complete and the world can now see what you have built. Danny Jordan was speaking amid Vuvuzelas from the workers who helped to built Soccer City. The Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke and the Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo also thanked the workers for their effort. The workers will receive the real tickets from 17 May to 1 June 2010. Meanwhile the Building and Wood Workers International praised Fifa for issuing the tickets to the workers. In their statement they say the issuing of workers with tickets is, a victory for the construction workers who struggled to have their labour recognized and who work under precarious forms of employment who had to strike for each and every demand made during various construction phases. They also paid respect to those who died or got injured in the construction sites.