APPLICATIONS opened for volunteers for the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009™ yesterday, with 42 application centres set up across Johannesburg.

Some 5 000 specialist and general volunteers will be recruited for the tournament. Announcing the opening of the volunteer programme at SAFA House at Nasrec, Soweto, on Tuesday, 1 July, Onke Mjo said that people could apply online on the Confederations Cup website.

Mjo is the volunteer programme manager of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Organising Committee (OC). Applications can only be done online; however, centres have been set up for people who do not have access to the internet. Assistants are on hand at these centres to help applicants who are not computer literate.

"Centres have been created across the whole country where people can send their applications. The application process closes on 31 August," Mjo said.

Thereafter, successful applicants would go through "a vigorous screening, interview and training process" to ensure they were able to satisfy the hundreds of people who would descend on the country for the Confederations Cup.

She said applicants should be South African citizens and should be 18 years or older by 1 March 2009. People of various ages would be selected, including professionals, students, unemployed young people and retired people.

Volunteers will be recruited to help in operational areas such as accreditation, administration, information technology, language support, logistics, transport, information services, media and marketing.

The tournament
The Confederations Cup, popularly known as the Festival of Champions, takes place from 14 to 28 June 2009 in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Rustenburg, Mangaung and Port Elizabeth. It will be contested by eight countries - South Africa, Italy, United States, Brazil, Egypt, Iraq, UEFA 2008 champions Spain, and the champions of Oceania.

Recruiting Confederations Cup volunteers is the first step towards recruiting about 15 000 volunteers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Applications to volunteer during the latter tournament only open in July 2009.

The OC chief executive officer, Danny Jordaan, said the launch of the volunteer programme was a significant day for the committee. It gave the OC a chance to engage South Africans directly and to call on thousands of them for their support.

"Thousands of hours have to date been spent on tournament preparations and to deliver world-class stadia and infrastructure. It is, however, the warm hospitality and friendly reception we give hundreds of supporters who will descend on our country that will make us deliver on our promise of making 2010 the best FIFA World Cup ever."

Jordaan said men and women, old and young, would have the chance to volunteer for the Confederations Cup; to become "the lifeblood" of the event. "The volunteers will be absolutely essential in determining how the [Confederations Cup] and the [World Cup] are perceived."

Mjo said applicants should not submit their curriculum vitae when applying for the volunteer programme. She added that a call centre had been set up in partnership with the Umsobomvu Youth Fund to support the OC's volunteer programme.

"The call centre will handle queries about the programme and people can call 0800 52 52 52 to be assisted."

The Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority (Theta) will train all volunteers for both the tournaments in customer service. Adidas, the sports clothing manufacturer, is the official clothing suppliers for the programme.

Access centres
In Johannesburg, the 42 access centres for volunteer applications are at the Umsobomvu Youth Fund offices on Diagonal Street and in Midrand, and in all City's seven regions.

Region A:

• Midrand Rent Office (Customer Service Centre) on 15^th Road, Randjespark
• Ivory Park, Lord Khanyile, 4326 Mkhaya Drive
• Rabie Ridge Community Centre, 3 Korhaan Street, Rabie Ridge
• Diepsloot Youth Centre, 383 Diepsloot Youth Centre

Region B:

• Randburg Rates Hall, Randburg Civic Centre
• Randburg Sports Complex, Randburg
• Union Stadium, Randburg

Region C:

• Bokskruin Community Centre
• Cosmo City Extension, Proper House No 211, Corner Oklahoma and Massachusetts streets
• Tshepisong Satellite Paypoint, Impala Road

Region D:

• Dobsonville Customer Service Centre, Luthuli Street
• Tladi, 2071 Matshunya Street
• Zola, 3700 Masizakhe Street
• Moroka/Jabavu, 1235 Mlangeni Street
• Senaone, 448 Mabalane Street
• Chiawelo, 989 Tshabuse Street
• Protea North, 299/49 Kunene Street
• Orlando East, 1425 Sofasonke Street
• Diepkloof Admin Offices, 1729 Talane Street
• Meadowlands Customer Service Centre, 293 Portion 7, Hekpoort Circle, Zone 2
• Mofolo, 666 Roodepoort Road, Zondi
• Orlando West Customer Service Centre, 8299 Pela Street
• Pimville, 2943/50 Modjadji Street, Zone 2

Region E:

• Alex Stadium, 68 - 12^th Avenue, Selbourne Street, Alexandra
• Number 3 Square, 131 - 13^th Avenue, Alexandra
• Eastbank Hall, 766 Springbok Avenue, Eastbank
• Klipfontein Centre, 1190 Corner Allandale and Sarasane roads, Klipfontein View Ext 1.

Region F:

• Eureka House Customer Service Centre, Corner Glenroy and Pioneer Park streets
• Southern Suburb, Corner Oakdene and 1 Berg streets, Turffontein
• The Place, Corner Tudhope and Soper roads, Berea
• Wembley Stadium
• Braamfontein Recreation Centre
• Kliprivierberg, Peggy Vera Road, Kibler Park

Region G:

• Lenasia South East Corobrick, Lenasia Civic Centre
• Lenasia South Community Centre, Wembley Road, Lenasia Southeast.
• Orange Farm Multi-Purpose Centre, 9125 Extension 5, Orange Farm
• Ennerdale Extension 9 Customer Service Centre, Corner Katz Street and Smith Walk
• Eldorado Park Customer Service Centre, Civic Centre, Eldorado Park
• Poortjie Customer Service Centre, Plot 431, Poortjie

All access centres are open from Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 4pm. The call centre can be contacted on 0800 52 52 52.

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