2010 World Cup City Preview: Polokwane

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Polokwane!
Population: 508,272.

Province: Limpopo

Average temperature in June: High: 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celcius). Low: 41 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celcius).

Average precipitation in June: .2 inches (5 millimeters) <-- It's really really really dry.

Brief history: Originally called Pietersburg, this town is most well-known for its usage as an English concentration camp during the Boer War at the end of the 19th century. The Boer War was a rebellion of sorts by the Boers of South Africa against the British imperialists. The British originally wanted to just blow up their homes, but upon the constant fight backs by the Boers, decided to take the women and children and place them in concentration camps. The conditions were deplorable, disease spread rampant, and some considered these places nothing more than cruel torture devices. Polokwane was not the absolute worst one, but that does not mean it was a picnic in the sun, either.

In 2005, the name of the city was changed from Pietersburg to its current name, Polokwane. Translated into English, Polokwane means, "Place of Safety." Pretty ironic, huh?

If you are visiting Polokwane, chances are you are doing so in order to get a glimpse of Mother Nature in South Africa. Polokwane is home to the Polokwane Game Reserve, which is home to various sorts of wildlife that help make Africa.

United States Sister City: None.

Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium

This is a brand new stadium built specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It's capacity is 46,000. The stadium is named for Africa National Congress Youth League leader Peter Mokaba, most known for his "kill the boer, kill the farmer" chant directed toward Afrikaaners as a call to violence to end apartheid. If there was more information about the stadium, I would give it to you, but, what can be said about a brand new stadium that has not been used yet?

2010 FIFA World Cup games being played in Peter Mokaba Stadium.
June 13: Group C: Algeria vs. Slovenia
June 17: Group A: France vs. Mexico
June 22: Group B: Greece vs. Argentina
June 24: Group F: Paraguay vs. New Zealand

Lastly, here are some pictures of Polokwane to give you a more visual picture of this city that had a brand new stadium built for a whopping 4 round robin games (0 elimination games are being played in Polokwane).






(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Polokwane and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup in the upcoming month.)