Two steps back for Joburg

Describing the East Rand as the heart and soul of South Africa, “crammed with spectacular natural beauty and cultural sophistication”, the Sunday Times notes that the first sign that greets foreign visitors at OR Tambo International Airport is a warm welcome to — wait for it — the Ekurhuleni municipality.

“No mention of South Africa, or the 2010 World Cup, or Gauteng, or Johannesburg,” the paper says. Sadly, this is an accurate — and damning — assessment, but it doesn’t reflect on the true severity of the matter. After all, Sandton has become Gauteng’s preferred business and tourism destination for millions of international visitors every year.

Again, there are no signposts guiding them through the tortuous network of highways with grass verges which haven’t been cut in months (doesn’t anybody care!) in and around Johannesburg to the leafy northern suburbs. It’s no surprise that so many visitors find themselves lost in the bowels of Johannesburg which, like many cities around the world (particularly after dark), is not the safest place to be.

And for those wishing to travel to nearby Pretoria (another 2010 host city), it’s just as confusing. After all, a legal tussle is under way over whether the city should carry its other name (Tshwane) on signboards ahead of the World Cup. Back at OR Tambo — Africa’s busiest airport — there are plenty of signs that the facility is undergoing a major facelift ahead of the World Cup.

The bridges linking the terminal to the R25 billion Gautrain network are nearing completion, and the airport itself is undergoing a major security and infrastructure upgrade, R13.4 billion has been allocated by operator Airports Company of SA, with infrastructure worth R5 billion due for completion before the tournament begins. Most significant is a new four-storey central terminal building, which provides a seamless link between the current international and domestic terminals.

And yet, when visitors arrive at the airport, the sign boards point to Terminal A and B with no indication of which ones house domestic and international arrivals and departures. These are issues that need to be resolved quickly. South Africa cannot inflict its eccentricities on the hundreds of thousands of 2010 visitors who are expecting a safe and enjoyable stay.