| SA reliable and safe – Jordaan - 01/12/2009 |
South Africa has proven beyond a reasonable doubt to be safe in terms of hosting major global sporting events. Local Organising Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said South Africa’s track record in hosting big events speaks volumes. The Sowetan reports that he said South Africa had hosted 141 global sporting events without any serious incidents. He said security would be tight during the 2010 World Cup. Jordaan said the SA Police Service had recruited more than 140 000 extra officers with another 100 000 in reserve.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Police chief gives 2010 the all-clear – 28/11/2009 |
The 2010 World Cup is safe in the hands of South Africa’s law enforcement agencies, said Police Commissioner Bheki Cele, notes a report in The Witness. Speaking at the unveiling of the Western Cape police’s new ’war room’ in Cape Town, he said, ’This is one area... where I sleep like a baby, when it comes to 2010.’ ’Let’s be clear on it, 2010 is safe in the hands of South Africans. And let’s stop this thing of focusing on security. Let’s focus on the beautiful game.’
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Full report in The Witness
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| Credit card fraud expected to increase – 27/11/2009 |
The risk of credit card fraud could increase during the 2010 World Cup, the SA Banking Risk Information Centre warned. ’The very fact that there will be more people in this country means that there will be more spending, there will be more economic activity taking place during that time,’ said Sabric chief executive officer Kalyani Pillay. The Sowetan reports that law enforcement agencies and the banks had done a threat analysis and were working together to identify risks, she told a media briefing in Cape Town.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| PE’s special WC anti-crime strategy in place – 27/11/2009 |
A special investigating group has been formed to identify, trace and prosecute offenders as part of the 2010 World Cup strategy to reduce crime in Port Elizabeth, acting general manager for community safety in the Department of Safety and Liaison Niel Naidoo said. Spelling out ’Law Enforcement Readiness for 2010’, Naidoo said the security forces had sufficient members for deployment throughout the Eastern Cape, adding that reservists would form part of the complement. The Herald reports that rapid response teams were also in place ’to deal with any eventuality’.
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Full report in The Herald
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| DA slams absence of crime stats – 26/11/2009 |
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticised the failure of the police in North West to present crime statistics to the provincial legislature, notes a report on the IoL site. ’There is lack of accountability and transparency in the NW (South African Police Service),’ said the DA’s North West leader Chris Hattingh. This was the third time in two weeks that the police had been unable to provide the statistics. ’To evade accountability will not eliminate the North West SAPS problems, but will lead to an aggravation of the situation and an escalation of crime in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup,’ said Hattingh.
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Full report on the IoL site
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| Focus on WC security - 26/11/2009 |
South African authorities are promising players and fans the highest levels of security during next year’s World Cup finals. Having spent about $93 million on equipment that includes new helicopters, pursuit vehicles and the latest crime-fighting and prevention technology, the South African police are well-armed to deal with any threats against teams, players and personnel. ’They will have a special focus,’ senior superintendent Vish Naidoo, of the South Africa police, said. ’We will have teams of highly trained and highly skilled police to protect the teams.’ The Herald Sun reports that not only have 55 000 new police officers been recruited, 41,000 officers with training and experience in major events will be mobilised with support from the South African defence forces and a presence of police from every competing country.
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Full Herald Sun report
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| UK security alert baffles Soccerex CE – 26/11/2009 |
Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie has directed a salvo at his fellow citizens and said he could not understand why the British were seemingly hellbent on painting a negative image of SA ahead of next year’s 2010 World Cup. Business Day reports that Revie said he was as astonished as 2010 LOC CE Danny Jordaan when British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant warned travelling fans recently that such was the crime in SA that they would need to be alert for hijackers when they arrived for the soccer showpiece next June. Jordaan said he did not understand how Bryant came to his conclusions.Bryant’s comments could not have been more ill-timed as the England Football Association will be in SA next week, desperately seeking this country’s support for their bid for the 2018 World Cup.
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Full Business Day report
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| British Government warns fans travelling to SA – 25/11/2009 |
Danny Jordaan - CE of the 2010 LOC — has expressed his displeasure at reports the British government had warned fans to be on the alert for hijackers when they arrive in SA for the soccer showpiece next June. Business Day reports that British foreign office minister Chris Bryant was quoted as saying those travelling to SA had to be aware of the measures they had to take to ensure their safety. ’We do not understand where this kind of statement is coming from,’ Jordaan said. ’We do not believe that the foreign office minister is correct in his findings.’ The British government is now apparently urging fans to purchase comprehensive travel insurance before heading to SA.
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Full Business Day report
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| 2010 will be safe – Jordaan – 13/11/2009 |
In the last 15 years the country has hosted top sporting events without any security incidents, said 2010 World Cup organising committing CEO Danny Jordaan, notes a report in The Times. South Africa’s capability to host the event successfully was ’beyond doubt’, he told the World Travel Market in London. ’You cannot name more than 10 countries that have hosted the magnitude of top sporting events that South Africa has hosted in just 15 years since its democracy and there has been not a single security incident in any of those 140 major sporting events,’ he added. Jordaan said the first African FIFA World Cup in more than 100 years of football history would be the best yet.
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Full report in The Times
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| Advanced driving courses for SAPS – 13/11/2009 |
The Gauteng South African Police Service (SAPS) wants to see 3 000 of its members graduate in advanced driving courses by March, in time for the 2010 World Cup. Engineering News reports that around 940 operational members have already received training, with a pass rate of 65%. Members who fail may attend the course a second time. Yokohama Driving Dynamics is responsible for the training, which is conducted at the Gerotek facility, near Pretoria, using vehicles supplied by General Motors South Africa (GMSA).
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Full Engineering News report
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| Japan plays down safety concerns - 12/11/2009 |
The Japanese national team distanced itself from claims that they were so petrified of the crime in SA that their players had been subjected to a security curfew ahead of the friendly international against Bafana Bafana at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. Reports from Tokyo claimed that the Japanese players had been instructed not to leave their hotel after dark as SA’s rape, robbery and hijacking rates are among the highest in the world. Business Day reports that after hearing about the potentially damaging allegations, Danny Jordaan, the CEO of the 2010 LOC, immediately contacted the visitors and demanded answers.
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Full Business Day report
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| Japanese team fears for safety – 11/11/2009 |
Japan’s soccer team have been ordered to stay in their hotel before Saturday’s friendly with 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa because of security fears. After arriving in Port Elizabeth, the Japanese team were whisked to their hotel and instructed not to go outside.
’If we’re not allowed out then I’ll just sit quietly in my room,’ midfielder Yasuhito Endo was quoted as saying on the team’s arrival in the country on Tuesday. South Africa has one of the world’s highest crime and murder rates, prompting the government to pledge to spend more than $115 million to beef up security for the World Cup.
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Full Sports24 report
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| V&A gearing up for 2010 – 10/11/2009 |
The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is preparing for the equivalent of a New Year’s Day every day during the 2010 World Cup. FIN24 reports that about 100 000 visitors a day are expected for the duration of the tournament during June and July, said David Green, chief executive of the V&A Waterfront. This is equal to the usual number of people visiting the Waterfront on New Year’s Day. The main focus will be on providing good service, and staff are already undergoing training. ’There is no point in having the facilities but offering poor service,’ Green noted. The safety of visitors is also of prime importance. About 350 security officers and more than 1 200 closed-circuit television cameras are currently deployed, but these will be increased.
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Full FIN24 report
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| 2010 increases risk of terrorist attacks – 10/11/2009 |
Hosting the soccer World Cup next June means an intensified risk of terrorist attacks at local airports and all airlines using them, Lance Brogden, regional vice-president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Africa warned on Tuesday. Stressing the need for everyone in the industry to work together to achieve the highest possible security, he said at an IATA -sponsored conference in Cape Town that the safety of passengers must not be compromised. According to Business Report, Anwar Gamy, director general at the department of transport, said aviation was targeted because it was highly visible, particularly when a high profile event such as the World Cup was taking place, and the government was committed to helping all stake holders to combat the threat of terrorism.
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Full Business Report article
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| eThekwini goes hi-tech for 2010 – 09/11/2009 |
With the 2010 World Cup drawing near, public safety is uppermost in the minds of the eThekwini municipality and fire department honchos. This comes after the introduction of a portable emergency control room by the fire department. The Sowetan reports that the demountable pod can be set up at major events venues for support and quick response in emergencies. The unit is the brainchild of Serco industries in the Phoenix Industrial Park north of Durban. The Serco technical team came up with this innovative idea to deal with emergency demands during the World Cup.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Security negotiations under way – 06/11/2009 |
With the 2010 World Cup stadiums nearing completion, negotiations for various physical security barriers are starting and local security barrier manufacturer Trellidor is confident its products will meet security barrier requirements. Engineering News reports that Trellidor, which is part of the Trellicor group, has on many occasions supplied its trellis-style security barriers to a number of stadiums. The company reports that its sliding security barriers, particularly the Trojan fixed barrier, which is certified as the strongest sliding security barrier worldwide, and the Access Guard, which is a portable barrier and can be used for crowd control and directing queues of people, are ideal choices for the 2010 World Cup stadiums.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Security negotiations under way – 06/11/2009 |
With the 2010 World Cup stadiums nearing completion, negotiations for various physical security barriers are starting and local security barrier manufacturer Trellidor is confident its products will meet security barrier requirements. Engineering News reports that Trellidor, which is part of the Trellicor group, has on many occasions supplied its trellis-style security barriers to a number of stadiums. The company reports that its sliding security barriers, particularly the Trojan fixed barrier, which is certified as the strongest sliding security barrier worldwide, and the Access Guard, which is a portable barrier and can be used for crowd control and directing queues of people, are ideal choices for the 2010 World Cup stadiums.
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Full Engineering News report
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| EC set for a safe WC – 06/11/2009 |
The Eastern Cape is promising ’the best service’ for a ’safe and secure’ World Cup next year. The Daily Dispatch reports that the pledge came from a confident Safety and Liaison MEC Gloria Barry to a summit organised by her department. Barry said a lot of work had been done and the Eastern Cape government was committed to a reduction of serious and violent crimes. ’The SAPS, together with other law enforcement partners, are at the final stages of refining their plans and operational strategies for the 2010 World Cup.’ She said the game between South Africa and Japan in Port Elizabeth on November 14 would be an opportunity to test law enforcement agencies.
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Full Daily Dispatch report
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| Cyber attacks expected to increase ahead of 2010 – 06/11/2009 |
As the 2010 World Cup approaches, security experts are warning that cyber attacks are likely to increase in the days leading to and during the event, and users interested in the FIFA World Cup are advised to equip themselves with the fundamentals of cybercrime, says Information Technology service company Cornastone Consulting. ’We have already seen evidence of FIFA-related spam and expect to see this grow in the run-up to the event. Engineering News notes that reports from the last World Cup indicate that there was a 40% increase in attacks on German institutions in the month preceding, and the month after, the World Cup. The attacks become more focused as the country’s profile is raised,’ says Cornastone Consulting security and identity management practice lead Patrick Devine.
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Full Engineering News report
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| Acsa clamps down on luggage pilfering - 03/11/2009 |
The Airports Company of South Africa says it hopes to get luggage pilfering at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport down to eight bags a day by the time the 2010 World Cup kicks off. The Sowetan reports that Acsa airport operations manager Bongani Maseko told Parliament’s public enterprises portfolio committee that 30 bags a day were stolen or tampered with daily at the country’s biggest airport until recently. That figure was reduced to 18, out of between 20 000 to 25 000 bags a day handled at the airport, after the airport employed new baggage handlers.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| Hefty sentences for murderers – 30/10/2009 |
There were scenes of joy in the Durban High Court on Friday when two brothers were given hefty sentences for killing retired Austrian soccer player Peter Burgstaller in 2007. ’We are impressed with the sentences and with the work of the police and prosecutors,’ said Austrian government representative, Gerald Seitter, after the sentencing.
Mthokozisi Msani was given 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances; a life sentence for murder; 15 years for the illegal possession of a firearm and five years for possession of ammunition. Burgstaller was attending the 2010 Soccer World Cup preliminary draw in Durban at the time and looking for business opportunities.
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Full report in The Witness
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| Murders will harm 2010 tourism’ –30/10/2009 |
Mpumalanga’s tourism MEC has said the murder of a well-known couple who owned an award-winning restaurant outside Sabie could spark fears about the safety of hosting the 2010 World Cup in the province. According to a report on the News24 site, department of economic development, environment and tourism MEC Jabu Mahlangu labelled the double murder ’shocking and cruel’ and lamented that it took place ’while the world is watching us’. ’Tourism is our goldmine in this province, and such barbaric acts could deter people from visiting us. And here we are one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,’ he said on Friday.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| SA ready to deal with search and rescue in 2010 – 29/10/2009 |
South Africa is ready to deal with any search and rescue situation that may arise during the 2010 World Cup, says Transport Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin. Speaking at the opening session of the regional field Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise, the deputy minister said South Africa was ready to respond professionally and effectively in the event of an accident or incident. However, he warned that response times could always be improved on so that there is a high degree of proficiency and professionalism. ’Readiness is about cutting down the time it takes to respond to a search and rescue situation. So far we can say we have that technical capacity and experience. But we must constantly improve, sharpen our readiness even more,’ he said.
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Full BuaNews report
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| Stadium remains practice ground despite concerns- 28/10/2009 |
The Athlone Stadium will remain a 2010 World Cup practice venue despite being situated in the centre of what could soon become a gang war zone. With just 30 weeks to the soccer showpiece, Athlone has erupted in gang violence, followed at the weekend by the discovery of a cache of ammunition in the ceiling of a block of flats in Kewtown, just metres from the proposed World Cup training venue. But 2010 authorities are less concerned, saying the stadium will remain a World Cup training venue for the tournament despite the violence, notes a Cape Argus report. LOC spokesman Rich Mkhondo said all the safety aspects had been thoroughly investigated before the stadium was named as a World Cup training venue. He said the LOC was confident and happy with the police’s 2010 safety plan for training venues.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Bulletproof vest warning causes a stir - 22/10/2009 |
A group of German soccer stars traipsing around Pretoria in bulletproof vests with armed bodyguards swirling around them like barmaids at a beer fest. That’s what we can expect to see if that country’s 2010 football team listen to the alleged advice dished out by a private security company bidding for a chance to protect Michael Ballack and the boys, notes a report on the IoL site. An article in sports magazine Sport Bild on Wednesday quoted a German security firm, BaySecur, warning that the ’possibility for the players moving outside of the (Pretoria) hotel boundaries should be kept to a minimum’. The article quotes the company’s Guenter Schnelle as saying: ’Otherwise there must be a full escort: armed security guards and bulletproof vests for the players’.
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Full report on the IoL site
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| Bullet-proof vests for 2010? - 21/10/2009 |
Germany’s World Cup stars were warned on Wednesday to expect to wear bullet-proof vests if they venture away from the team hotel at next year’s tournament in South Africa. The head of Leverkusen-based security firm BaySecur, who look after the the German Football Federation (DFB) and their guests when the national team play away from Germany, says their stars like Michael Ballack must take extra care in South Africa. According to a report on the News24 site, BaySecur is one of the firms expected to be employed by the DFB while the team is involved in the tournament.’The possibility for the players of moving outside of the hotel boundaries should be kept to a minimum,’ BaySecur’s Guenter Schnelle told German magazine Sport-Bild. ’Otherwise there must be a full escort: armed security guards and bullet-proof vests for the players.’
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Muslims address 2010 terror concerns - 18/10/2009 |
Local Muslim activists have taken issue with reports that an al-Qaeda terrorist cell in South Africa planned to disrupt the 2010 World Cup and said they rejected any such plan as contrary to Islam, notes a report on the IoL site. ’As committed citizens of this country, we pledge unequivocal support to the government and its security forces (and) to assist in whatever way we can to avert any attack on our people or visitors to our country during the World Cup,’ said a statement by the International Peace University of South Africa (Ipsa). The statement, supported by the Muslim Judicial Council, was issued after a symposium on extremism.
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Full report on the IoL site
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| ’Biggest ever’ deployment for 2010 – 14/10/2009 |
The measures being put in place to keep visitors safe at the 2010 World Cup will include the biggest command and control operation yet undertaken by the South African military, notes a Digital Journal report. New means of countering asymmetrical attacks during peacekeeping and other situations were highlighted at the South African Joint Air Defence Symposium in Pretoria, where Colonel Amigo B. Louw of the South African Air Force (SAAF) told Digital Journal the upcoming operation: ’We’re making use of radars on the army side, we’re making use of civilian radars, everything. Our aircraft, police aircraft, civilian aircraft,’ said Louw. ’The match venues would be very well covered.’
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Full Digital Journal report
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| Interpol, SAPS team up for 2010 – 13/10/2009 |
Interpol and the SAPS have underlined their commitment to strengthening their partnership and working together closely in security preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. During a meeting on the sidelines of the Interpol General Assembly, South African police commissioner Bheki Cele and Interpol secretary- general Ronald Noble discussed the range of support services which will be provided to SA before and during the world’s biggest soccer event. The Citizen reports that Cele, who is heading the SA delegation to the Interpol General Assembly in Singapore, said Interpol’s support was an important part of ensuring the event is as safe and peaceful as possible.
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Full report in The Citizen
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| 2010 preparations ’well underway’ – 13/10/2009 |
Security preparations for the 2010 World Cup were ’well underway’, the State Security Ministry said. The Daily Dispatch reports that the assurance came after weekend media reports warned of a potential terrorist threat to the soccer spectacular. ’We are on top of the situation and confident of hosting a secure event,’ the ministry said in a statement. ’The intelligence services and police are working closely to provide the security needed for such an event.’ The ministry said its blueprint for hosting international events ’proved successful in the past’ and that it benefited from the experience of other nations who had hosted the World Cup.
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Full Daily Dispatch report
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