The South African government will spend more than 30 billion rand (US$3.7 billion) on the 2010 World Cup, in part because of escalating stadium construction costs.
The official report released on Tuesday, which assessed progress in preparations, said that so far some 20 billion rand had been allocated for stadium, transport and other infrastructure.
When it bid to host the soccer showcase, estimates made in 2004 for the cost of hosting the event were as little as 3 billion rand.
PHOTO: AFP
But since then, plans have become more ambitious -- new stadiums are being built in Durban and Cape Town which were not initially scheduled -- and the price of cement and other raw materials has risen.
The government has also decided to use the event as a catalyst for massive spending on transport infrastructure like roads, railways and airports, as well as beefing up police numbers and equipment.
Authorities are also honing security preparations -- another potential source of worry.
The police and army on Tuesday wound up a three-day security operation in the skies above Cape Town, declaring that it proved South Africa would be able to combat threats of terrorism or other violent disruptions to the World Cup.
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