SA's World cup costs balloon to $1.59 billion

South Africa's projected bill for hosting the 2010 World Cup has ballooned to more than 12 billion rand ($1.59 billion).

Figures released by the organising committee on Wednesday put the cost of stadiums at 8.3 billion rand ($1.1 billion), transport at 3.7 billion rand ($486 million) and broadcasting at 400 million rand ($52.5 million).

When South Africa won the bid in 2004 to become the first African hosts of the tournament, estimates put the total cost at 2.3 billion rand.

The committee strangely denied underestimating the costs but said that plans had changed because new soccer stadiums are being built rather than using existing rugby grounds as originally planned.

"There has been no increase in the costs of stadiums wehave built five new stadiums specifically for football," chief executive Danny Jordaan said.

Construction work on the new stadiums in Cape Town, Durban, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Port Elizabeth is set to begin in January they are confident that they will be completed in 34 months.

On the matter of crime Jordaan says the country cannot wait until 2010 to address these problems even though South Africa has a good track record in safe guarding visitors at major events held in the country.

But fears the country's high crime-rate could deter visitors were acknowledged. "Crime is a South African thing. We shouldn't wait until 2010 to deal with this matter," Jordaan said.