South Africa will be the first African country to host the World Cup

The South African parliament passed a draft law for the 2010 World Cup covering a raft of issues from measures to stop unofficial advertising to medicines that will be used during the event.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Special Measures Bill spells out steps to facilitate the accreditation of foreign medical teams, measures to identify which medicines will be used, and puts controls to bar "ambush marketing" by unofficial sponsors.

The bill was passed on Friday and is the final step before being signed into law by President Thabo Mbeki.

Introducing the bill for the vote, Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen said plans for disaster management, health services and safety and security were at an advanced stage.

"So far, (world soccer body) Fifa is very pleased with our preparations," he said in a speech prepared for the occasion.

"They are pleased not as observers but as participants in our local organising committee meetings."

Mbeki has repeatedly dismissed concerns about whether South Africa is in a sound position financially to host the international sporting extravaganza.

Others have voiced concerns over the country's high crime rate.