The City of Cape Town 2010 Fifa World Cup Bylaw, as the special regulations are known, will be in effect until December 12.

A number of major events in the city have been affected by the regulations. They include the Obz Fest, an annual street market and party thrown by Observatory retailers and restaurants in the first week of December, which has been cancelled, and a World Aids Day march in Main Road, Salt River, which has been scaled down to a series of lectures.

In terms of the city's agreement with Fifa, any event or festival that could compromise the football federation's plans must be cancelled or postponed.

From tomorrow Capetonians will have to contend with a series of major road closures in the city centre in the run-up to Friday night's draw in the Cape Town International Convention Centre .

These include Long Street, a portion of which will be closed to host an open-air party where fans can watch the draw on large-screen TVs, and the streets surrounding the CTICC, which will become a virtual no-go zone on Friday.

Chief inspector Merle Lourens of the city's traffic services has apologised for the inconvenience - and has urged businesses in the affected areas to arrange for the delivery of stock well before Friday to prevent traffic congestion.

In terms of the bylaw, police can take action against any ambush marketer or unauthorised advertiser within two kilometres of the CTICC, which is a "controlled access site", for a week before and a week after the final draw.

The bylaw comes into effect again on April 21 - long before the June 11 opening match - and will remain in force until July 19, a week after the final.

By that time, the controlled access sites will include stadiums, the locations of any official Fifa events, accreditation centres, official training areas, team anddelegation hotels, and fan parks.

The bylaw also bans begging in such areas, as well as car guards.

Steps must be taken to gentrify construction sites in such areas. The city has appealed to construction companies "to take all necessary measures at their own cost to cover or conceal such construction sites from public view".

In addition, no person may "bathe, wade or swim in or wash himself, an animal or any object, including clothing, in any water or body" at a "special event" - that is, a parade, procession, race, concert, show, exhibition or any other similar event.