| 2010 security under the spotlight - 06/04/2009 |
For the duration of the World Cup all aircraft flying within 50 nautical miles of a stadium will be deemed to be in military airspace. Working closely with civil aviation, even the air crews will need to be pre-approved. The man whose job it is to neutralise terror threats during the 2010 World Cup is Director David Garnett - 2010 senior ops coordinator - and he is mustering all his forces against both terrorists and criminals. M-Net’s Carte Blanche on Sunday addressed South Africa’s security preparations for the tournament. Garnett said there are contingency plans to deal with any incident. ’We’ve had over 140 major events in the country since 1994 so I am confident from an international perspective that South Africa is quite safe,’ he said.
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Full Carte Blanche report
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| Police appeal for dogs to be donated - 06/04/2009 |
East London police have joined a national appeal to the public to donate dogs for the upcoming 2010 World Cup. SAPS’s East London police dog unit Inspector Steve Leslie said they had asked the public to get involved because there was a shortage of canine crime fighters. The Daily Dispatch reports that Leslie said the dogs would be used for patrols and narcotic, explosive, tracker and fire detection services and other crucial roles. Leslie said specialised police services like the dog unit played a critical role in policing. They were looking for several specific breeds for training.
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Full Daily Dispatch report
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| SAPS scraps plans to buy UAVs - 01/04/2009 |
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has scrapped its plans to buy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the 2010 World Cup stadiums during the tournament. ITWeb reports that the UAVs, which were sidelined for six Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters, worth more than R30 million, would have been purchased as part of the R650 million SAPS procurement drive for the World Cup. ’As far as I know, the UAVs are the only pieces of equipment which were not bought,’ says SAPS spokesman Vish Naidoo. ’We believed that the more viable option was to purchase the helicopters. There are no plans to buy any UAVs in the near future.’
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Full ITWeb report
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| Police union fumes at overtime pay plan – 27/03/2009 |
Police might shun the upcoming Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup if the government does not change its proposed overtime payment system for the SAPS. The South African Police Union (Sapu) has rejected the government’s proposed payment system and ’will stop at nothing in defence of the current one’.
’This is an insult to our members. We never complained about the current system, and now they are introducing something which will victimise our members,’ Sapu acting general secretary, Oscar Skommere, said on Friday.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Dogs wanted for WC duty - 19/03/2009 |
The commander of the Rustenburg dog unit, Superintendent Flip Nel is appealing to the public to donate dogs who will be trained to work during the 2010 World Cup.
According to a report on the News24 site, 26 posts are available for Border Collies, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, Belgian Shepherds, Boxers, Bloodhounds and Rottweilers, said police spokesperson Captain Elsabe Augoustides. Once trained they will be used for patrols, locating narcotics and explosives, as trackers, prevention of crimes relating to protected species, prevention of stock theft, fire detection and search and rescue.
There is a catch. The only thing is: the dogs will stay with the police permanently.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Police, SANDF ready for 2010 - 18/03/2009 |
The police and 13 supporting government departments are ready for every safety and security-related eventuality – from terrorist attack to ambush marketing – ahead of June’s FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup. Defence Web reports that police 2010 senior operational planner Director David Garnett adds that the country’s intelligence services have to date not identified any specific threats against either event. ’On a positive note we don’t expect or envisage that many challenges, we are quite positive about our ability with deployed resources and the experience of our (officers) to deal with incidents that might come our way,’ he said.
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Full Defence Web report
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| SAPS upgrades technology ahead of 2010 - 17/03/2009 |
Integcomm recently won the contract to build a digital command and control network for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape. Besides improving security and combating crime, the R1 billion project is seen as a major infrastructure investment for the 2010 World Cup. ’The contract requires Integcomm to supply, deliver, test, commission and successfully operate the TETRA communication network for the Eastern Cape police,’ said SAPS spokesperson, senior superintendent Lindela Mashigo. Data Week reports that more than 200 base-stations will be installed to ensure flawless coverage of the province where around 7 million people live.
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Full Data Week report
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| 2010 hostage drama - 17/03/2009 |
Two well-known radio presenters were ’taken hostage’ on Tuesday in a police and defence force simulation of security threats to the Confederation Cup and the 2010 World Cup. In the exercise, Idols judge and 5fm radio presenter Gareth Cliff and Maurice Carpede from 94.2 Jacaranda were dragged out of a briefing by two armed masked men and forced into a SAPS’s Cessna Sovereign Citation jet at Swartkops air force base outside Pretoria. According to a report on the IOL site, olice, defence force and other government departments - forming part of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Joints) - responded by activating land and air teams. After sharp shooters arrived by helicopter, the tarmac quickly filled with police and military task teams, ambulances and fire engines. The reaction appeared seamless.
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Full report on the IOL site
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| SANDF still has no 2010 budget - 16/03/2009
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The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) must still be allocated a budget for supporting this June’s Confederations Cup and next June’s Soccer World Cup. This year’s defence budget, announced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel last month, makes no provision for military support in safeguarding the events. The police have been given about R1.3 billion for the task but are unwilling to share this with the military. Defence Web reports that police expect to deploy some 41 000 officers to safeguard the soccer events – for which they have allocated R640 million and bought equipment and services worth R665 million.
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Full Defence Web report
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| Interpol to help with 2010 security - 14/03/2009 |
World Cup 2010 organisers are collaborating with Interpol to make sure the tournament in South Africa is safe from terrorist attacks such as the recent assault on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan. According to a Scores Pro report, LOC CE, Danny Jordaan, is confident that next year’s event will be safe for players and fans alike. He said if organisers know exactly where people are staying and eating, he can guarantee their safety. He added that the attack in Pakistan was unfortunate and that organizations such as Interpol have been very helpful in major events in the past such as the last World Cup and the Beijing Olympics.
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Full Scores Pro report
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| Blatter plays down security fears - 12/03/2009 |
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted that scheduling for the 2010 World Cup will not change as a result of recent terrorist acts in Pakistan. ESPN reports that the world of cricket is still reeling from the attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore, in which eight people were killed. But for Blatter it will be business as usual at South Africa 2010, with no thought given to cutting down the amount of travelling the 32 teams must do. Blatter is supremely confident 2010 will pass off smoothly, allowing football to leave behind a tangible benefit for all South Africans.
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Full ESPN report
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| Mercedes looks to boost sales in 2010 - 13/03/2009 |
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) is aiming to take advantage of the number of dignitaries visiting South Africa for the Confederation Cup this year and the 2010 World Cup to boost sales of its two newly launched specialised armour protected vehicles. According to Business Report, the firm has just launched the Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard and Mercedes-Benz E-Guard, which provide occupants with protection from attacks by firearms and explosives. The Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard has armour to resist military standard small-arms projectiles that have almost twice the velocity of bullets fired by a revolver, and provides protection against fragments from hand grenades.
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Full story in Business Report
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| Aerial restrictions on the cards for 2010 - 12/03/2009 |
Restrictions will be applied during the 2010 World Cup to prevent the possibility of aerial terror attacks, according to Civil Aviation Authority commissioner, Captain Colin Jordaan. The Cape Argus reports that these included flight restrictions as wide as five nautical miles from stadiums, he told about 120 members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association at the Stellenbosch Flying Club. Jordaan also said fighter aircraft may be sent to confront any aircraft not adhering to the rules. Aviation exercises simulating World Cup defence plans had been running across the country since last year to test security forces’ ability to deal with aerial threats.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Focusing on World Cup security – 11/03/2009 |
Government, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are to conduct 2010 World Cup safety and security training exercises ahead of the two international soccer events. CBN reports that the five-day training also known as Exercise Shield 3, will be held at four stadia and certain airfields around Gauteng and the North West. SAPS spokesperson Director Sally de Beer said the operation was an excellent training opportunity for those security personnel who will be deployed during the Confederations Cup in June this year and the World Cup next year.
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Full CBN report
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| Crime myths may ruin 2010 attendance - 10/03/2009 |
Myths and negative perceptions abroad about South Africa’s high rate of violent crime could prevent the desired number of foreign visitors from attending the 2010 World Cup, an international business tourism expert has revealed. The Cape Argus reports that the government predicts an estimated 400 000 people will visit the country during the 30-day event. But Linda Pereira, a business tourism expert from Portugal, says authorities might find that figure difficult to achieve if the country continues to receive negative publicity abroad. She said South Africa should, as a nation, start dispelling the many myths around crime and security threats to draw more visitors to the country in 2010.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| 2010 stadia in safe hands - 09/03/2009 |
A football stadium safety company in the UK has won a deal to train staff at the 2010 World Cup. Specialists from Nantwich-based Events Stewarding, Training and Consultancy (ESTC) will work with senior staff and venue managers in South Africa ahead of the giant tournament. The firm was established three years ago by Crewe Alexandra stadium manager Cliff Simpson and has gone on to tutor at dozens of English football clubs, international cricket venues and the prison service.
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Full This Is Staffordshire report
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| Can paramedics cope with 2010 requirements? - 08/03/2009 |
Carte Blanche has addressed concerns over the shortage of paramedics in the country with the 2010 World Cup looming. According to estimates made by MMC, a medical management events company, flagship stadia in Cape Town and Johannesburg, which have been designed to host crowds of up to 80 000, will need one advanced paramedic for every 5 000 people. In addition it’s recommended that for every 1 000 fans we will need at least one basic or intermediate practitioner will be necessary. Close on a hundred life support practitioners are needed at every event. That’s nearly 900 medics for the World Cup. This figure does not include the 110 advanced paramedics stipulated for personal use of the FIFA delegates.
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Full transcript of the programme
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| Concern over 2010 muti killings - 07/03/2009 |
Over 70% of South Africans surveyed as part of a report on the trafficking on human body parts believe that muti killings will increase as the 2010 World Cup approaches. ’There is a clear link between muti and business. With the World Cup approaching, people we surveyed believe more people will be killed and their body parts used in muti that is bought to ensure businesses prosperity,’ said Simon Fellows, author of a report entitled Trafficking Body Parts in Mozambique and South Africa.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| All systems go for Retail Risk 2009 – 04/03/2009 |
Following the runaway success of the inaugural Retail Risk conference, hosted by The Consumer Goods Council and Technews Publishing in 2008, plans for the 2009 event are proceeding apace and bode well for another ground-breaking conference. Security SA reports that Retail Risk is a conference aimed at assisting retail and security professionals to protect their retail business property, assets and customers. This year’s conference will look at the impact that the 2010 World Cup and the significant influx of people to SA is likely to have on the retail industry. ’The conference aims to provide delegates with real world, practical solutions that will assist them in securing their retail businesses,’ says Vivienne Dorrington, CEO of Technews Publishing.
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Full Security SA report
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| Hi-tech parking system for Orlando Stadium – 04/03/2009 |
The upgraded Orlando Stadium, which will host matches during the FIFA Confederations Cup this year and serve as a training facility for World Cup teams in 2010, has implemented a new security system for the main gate and VIP parking area. Security Sa reports that Tswelopele Solutions, a specialist in the deployment of technology solutions focused on improving the general spectator experience for soccer and other sports fans, contracted Protoclea Advanced Image Engineering, a local image-based security systems developer, to provide a system to secure and control access and egress for vehicles entering the main gate for VIP parking at Orlando Stadium.
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Full Security SA report
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| A wake-up call for 2010 - 04/03/2009 |
The attacks on Sri Lankan cricketers which left eight people dead and seven cricketers injured have prompted a ’shocked’ FIFA to review and strengthen security for the 2010 World Cup. The Daily News reports that FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke called ’a crisis evaluation committee’ meeting in Johannesburg with the South African 2010 organisers to discuss taking security ’to a maximum level’.
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Full Daily News report
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| SANDF prepares for 2010 – 03/03/2009 |
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will host southern Africa’s biggest military exercise in September, involving 11 countries including Zimbabwe. Business Day reports that the exercise with other armies from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will coincide with the SANDF’s first decade of involvement in peace-keeping missions. The SANDF is also involved in security preparations for the June Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. SA has close to 3 000 soldiers on peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
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Full Business Day report
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| Confusion over R3bn SAPS allocation – 26/02/2009 |
Statements made by LOC CEO Danny Jordaan, over the allocation of R3 billion for 2010 safety efforts, have caused confusion. ITWeb reports that Jordaan was quoted as stating, on a recent visit to Durban’s Moses Mabhida stadium, that the South African Police Service (SAPS) will receive R3 billion for technology, which will help the police fight crime during the 2010 World Cup. Speaking about safety and security during the event, Jordaan stated technology would be used to curb crime, saying: However, police spokesman, Vishnu Naidoo, when asked about the allocation, said: ’I am not aware of any R3 billion which we have been given. The only money we have been allocated is that which we were given back in 2007.’ Naidoo claims the only 2010 budget that the SAPS has been allocated is the R640 million, which it will use for the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for 2010, and R665 million, which will be used for the procurement of special equipment.
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Full ITWeb report
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| 5 000 soldiers headed for SA - 25/02/2009 |
About 5 000 Southern African Development Community (SADC) solders, sailors and airmen are headed for South Africa to take part in the inaugural exercise of the region’s peacekeeping brigade. Defence Web reports that South African National Defence Force chief director of operations Rear Admiral Phillip Schoultz says the need for Exercise Golfinho (Dolphin) was identified at a SADC Interstate Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC) meeting in Angola in February last year. The AU decided soon after its formation in 2000 to establish an African Standby Force (ASF) that would include one integrated multinational brigade per region. The planning parameters provided an initial capability by 2005 and a fully operational force by June 2010, in time for the World Cup.
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Full Defence Web report
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| R3bn to be spent on safety - 24/02/2009 |
Police will use R3 billion worth of the latest technology to keep soccer lovers safe from thieves during the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that LOC CE Danny Jordaan said there would be strict seat allocation and that drunkenness would not be tolerated. Jordaan said the best technology would be used to prevent the problem of black market tickets. He is confident that the police are well equipped to fight crime. He said criminals have become sophisticated and bold, but the authorities are well prepared. ’Police can’t fight crime with pen and paper while criminals have laptops. This is why we will be spending R3 billion on IT in this regard,’ he added.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Calls for cops to shape up for 2010 - 23/02/2009 |
Mpumalanga police officers who become fat or unfit once they’ve completed their training are being challenged to get back into shape. According to a report on the News24 site, provincial police commissioner Rex Machabi is encouraging chubby crime-busters to trim down in preparation for protecting tourists during the 2010 World Cup. ’Every Wednesday afternoon, we hold a sports day for all police members at the various police stations,’ said Machabi’s spokesperson, Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi. ’They need to be able to sprint after criminals.’ ’Every cop must be ready for action during the 2010 World Cup,’ said unit spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| SANDF prepared for 2010 - 21/02/2009 |
The SA National Defence Force is ’overstretched’ but capable of assisting in the upcoming elections, Confederations Cup and Fifa World Cup, Joint Operations said on Friday, according to a report on the News24 site. Speaking to the media in Pretoria, chief director of operations Admiral Philip Schoultz said while the combined forces were overstretched in missions outside the country this had been factored into the annual planning process. ’At this stage we can meet the current commitments, as well as the anticipated commitments, such as the upcoming elections, should we be required to assist; as well as the major events like soccer 2010 and [the] upcoming Confederations Cup.’
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Safety unit on the cards for major events - 18/02/2009 |
The City of Cape Town is planning the establishment of a dedicated safety and security unit that will service all major events in the city, on the insistence of the operators of the new Green Point stadium. By establishing the unit it aims to at least halve the current cost of traffic and security services at such events. The Cape Argus reports that event organisers will in future have to foot the bill for these services. The city has been compelled to establish the unit as a condition to the agreement it is entering into with the operators of the 2010 Green Point stadium - Stade de France and Sail - which are demanding that a full-time unit be on standby to provide traffic and security services at major events.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Mashatile addresses crime concerns - 16/02/2009 |
Crime remained the biggest challenge facing Gauteng, Premier Paul Mashatile said delivering his state of the province address on Monday. The province had invested R8m in recruiting 8 000 street patrollers in 83 areas in the province and by the end of March, that number will grow to 10 000. The province will host the opening and closing games of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup as well as the Confederations Cup later this year. ’When we host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Gauteng will boast a world-class, integrated public transport system that is safe, reliable and affordable,’ he said.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| UK policemen train volunteers for 2010 - 13/02/2009 |
At least 1 700 volunteers have been recruited and trained by a select team from England’s Manchester police as part of the KwaZulu-Natal preparations for the 2010 World Cup. The Sowetan reports that chairman of the Provincial 2010 Political Oversight Committee Zweli Mkhize said the number of volunteers would be increased to 2 100 in the build-up to 2010. ’The province is beefing up its security agencies to ensure a “safe and secure 2010“ with a key objective of preventing social crime,’ he said. He added the province was well on track with all of its key deliverables to ensure a successful World Cup.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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