South Africa's World Cup venues are 'white elephants' - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Critics say South Africa has wasted resources on stadia to be used for the World Cup next year. A jubilant Cape Town last night took delivery of its spectacular 370 million pound World Cup stadium. However, officials faced claims that the country has wasted resources on state-of-the-art sports facilities that will be white elephants after the final whistle is blown. The 68,000-seat Cape Town stadium, which has taken 2,500 workers less than three years to build, was formally handed over by the contractors to mayor Dan Plato. Eight World Cup matches will be played there next June and July, including one semi-final. The seaside stadium, which has 37,000 sq metres of glass roofing to protect spectators from the elements, is Cape Town 's most expensive building ever. Its completion comes amid mounting claims that South Africa - where half the population still survives on an average of 130 pounds a month - has mortgaged itself to the hilt to host a football spectacular that will bring little benefit to its people. The country has built six new stadiums and refurbished four others to meet the specifications of football's governing body, FIFA.