Kimberley - The small township of Galeshewe is abuzz with activity this morning as the country marks the 50 days countdown to the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup.
Colourful South African flags and vuvuzelas can be seen all over the local stadium which is packed with scores of people who have converged to celebrate the event. Locals are being entertained with music being strummed out by the South African police band and members of the national defence force.
While none of the games will be played in the Northern Cape during the World Cup, some have questioned the organising committee's decision to hold today's celebrations in the province.
But Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said the Northern Cape was one of the provinces where people have shown a huge interest in the world cup despite the province not hosting any games.
Uruguay has also chosen Kimberly as its base camp while many visitors will be staying in the town during the month-long tournament.
"Look, the people of this province have surprised us on many occasions, we were serious when we said all South Africans must be part of this event... the passion, the flair and the love the people of this province have for football is unbelievable," Jordaan said.
Earlier, Northern Cape Tourism Board CEO Sharon Lewis told BuaNews that the province will be taking advantage of the event to market itself in a bid to attract more visitors during the tournament.
"South Africa is a country in one, so what we are saying as Northern Cape is come here and experience the beauty and tranquility of our province because you will be amazed," Lewis said.
Parts of the province does not have proper quality television signals and the provincial government will be investing money in setting up public viewing screens to make sure that everyone is part of the football fever.
