Johannesburg - Inspectors and officials from the Department of Labour made a surprise blitz visit to the Soccer City construction site in Johannesburg on Monday morning.

The team inspected the health and safety elements of the environment at the stadium, which will be one of the biggest in Africa when complete and will host the FIFA World Cup final in 2010.

Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana said he was mostly satisfied that the health and safety measures were being effectively implemented following his tour of the site.

The first steps to rallying and mobilising 12 million South African school pupils behind the 2010 FIFA World Cup began in Soweto on the weekend with the launch of the South African Schools Partnership.

The partnership, between the national Department of Education, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa and the Department of Sport and Recreation, is aimed at mobilising and educating pupils from the country's 30 000 schools about the first FIFA World Cup being held on African soil.

The objective is to promote mass participation of learners around the legacy themes of the World Cup, using education, music, arts, cultural activities and football

The Nasrec precinct in the south of Johannesburg is to benefit from a multi-million rand development plan and will also host the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for the 2010 World Cup, announced the City of Johannesburg.

The announcement took place on Monday at a press conference held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec.

“We were delighted that Joburg was selected to host the International Broadcasting Centre,” said Executive Director Sibongile Mazibuko.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the IBC was set up in Munich where Germany hosted 13,400 accredited TV commentators, camera crew - members and technical staff.  The centre broadcast images and reports of the World Cup to more than 120 television and radio stations in 190 countries to over 26 billion people across the world.