"You didn't call a funeral, but I know Plan B is dead," said Jordaan in response to previous reports that the cup may be moved to Australia.
Stadium construction was on track, said Jordaan and ticket prices would remain at US10 for category four for the Confederations Cup next year and US20 for the World Cup. The ticket prices have been pegged at an exchange rate of R7 to the dollar.
"Therefore they will be R70 and R140 regardless of what happens to the rand." Category four was a ticket solely for sale to South African residents.
Jordaan said the impact of the global financial crisis on the event was not yet known. This was because the organisers didn't know yet who the 32 qualifying teams would be and whether their supporters would follow them to the games.
Marketing head Derek Carstens said they were finalising the choice of companies who would do the opening and closing ceremonies, who would dress the stadium and who the master concessionaire at the stadiums would be.
"And yes, the famous vuvuzela will be allowed," said ticketing head Leslie Sedibe.
2010 visa from Home Affairs
Meanwhile the Department of Home Affairs has announced that tourists who need visas to enter South Africa will get a special event visa to attend the 2010 World Cup.
Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said that the department will issue special visas to African visitors from non-Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries who would normally require visas to enter South Africa.
"This will be the first time that such a visa will be used by a country hosting a major world event," Mapisa-Nqakula told reporters in Johannesburg at a briefing on Tuesday.
Initially the event visa would be issued to Egyptian soccer fans for the Fifa Confederations Cup as they are the only African country participating in the tournament. The event visa would then be extended to other African countries for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
In addition Mapisa-Nqakula announced that the department would set up pre-screening and pre-clearance desks at selected international ports of entry in order to speed up travel processes. South African home affairs officials would be placed at seven international airports in several countries.
These officials would stamp visitors' passports even before they get onto the plane to enable them to enter South Africa without standing in long queues. However, they would still have to go through customs.
"This will enhance our ability to facilitate the entry and exit through our borders and to prevent undesirable persons from entering our country," said Mapisa-Nqakula.
The 2010 pre-clearance desks will be situated at major airports in the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Dubai, India and Kenya.
Sapa
