R i g h t a r d i a: 15,000 volunteers for the 2010 Soccer World Cup needed

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

15,000 volunteers for the 2010 Soccer World Cup needed

Mernat Mafirakurewa, AfricaNews reporter in Johannesburg, South Africa

South Africa requires a total of 15,000 volunteers for the 2010 Soccer World Cup to be hosted in that country. Local organising committee head, Danny Jordaan (LOC) said volunteers would be recruited from across South Africa, the continent and the rest of the world. Applications close on August 31 2009.

The LOC's volunteer department will then conduct interviews with pre-selected applicants in January and February 2010.

“The volunteer programme is an excellent way to get involved in South Africa and Africa's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of hosting the world's biggest sporting event," he said. In total volunteers are required in 16 functional areas – accreditation, marketing, media, protocol services, spectator services, transportation, administration, environmental services, welcome and information services, information technology and telecommunication, language support, rights protection programme, logistic services, hospitality and ushering services and volunteer management.

Anyone who is 18 years or older on March 1, 2010 and has a good command of the English language can apply to be a volunteer. The application form is available on FIFA.com at www. FIFA.com/volunteers2010.

Jordaan said it was the volunteers that make the world cup happen as they would assist from ushering people to their seats, assisting the media and foreign language speakers among other duties.

Multilingual volunteers will also be needed. Logistical and administrative matters, including transportation, information technology and telecommunications, will also need volunteers. Foreign pre-selected applicants will have telephonic interviews.

For those without Internet access there will be a number of venues across the nine World Cup host cities where members of the public will be assisted to apply for the volunteer programme.