World Cup in South Africa will be safe

**Comrade007** · 2nd February 2010, 05:43 PM

The recent attack in Togo's football team in Angola has focussed people's ,=mind on the security of the upcoming World Cup in SA, and rightly so I think. But let's look at what the organiseers are saying about securing the event:

We do not need to be reminded by incidents happening in other parts of the world to know what we should plan for -[B] Police spokesman Vish Naidoo

Well,let's hope so Mr Naidoo. What is true is that Africa is not one country - as is often mistakenly assumed - but a continent. It is more than 2,500 km from Luanda to Pretoria, a huge area.

Apart from that, the organisers are saying that:

More than 1.3bn rand has been spent to beef up security for the tournament.
The police has bought helicopters for air surveillance
THe police acquired mobile police stations to be stationed at all key venues
A 24-hour ground patrol using more than 40,000 specially trained officers and private security guards will be provided

Also, the independent Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think-tank agrees that the authorities are well prepared for any security threat, which is significant.

They write:

"South Africa's intelligence agencies will have received information from different high-risk countries along with their input on threats posed and South Africa would have then prepared adequately" - ISS researcher Johan Berger.

He says the attack in Angola should be looked at solely in the context of Angolan politics. South Africa has never faced a separatist insurgency even during the tumultuous apartheid era. South Africa has successfully staged a number of international sporting events - including rugby and cricket world cups. The nation also played host to India's cricket Premier League last year precisely because India could not provide enough security. Berger says South Africa's biggest problem is crime, not terrorism, and says the police do "exceptionally well" at providing security for major events.

Because of the high crime levels in South Africa and the international attention, South African authorities to their credit went out of their way to make sure that we have all the necessary resources - ISS Researcher Johan Berger

So,let's keep all of this in perspective.

**Comrade007** · 12th February 2010, 11:28 AM

Although I am no fan of the man at all I agree with Sepp Blatter on his comments about the prejudices displayed towards South Africa by Europeans. I think he was spot on with his comments, although I don't think it will sway the doubters. They have made up their minds and the only thing that must happen now is that the cup is a complete success to vindicate South Africa.

Here's what Blatter said yesterday:

“Every year 11 million tourists go to South Africa and nobody says they should not go there,” he said. “It’s a kind of anti-Africa prejudice. I think there is still in the so-called Old World a feeling that ‘why the hell should Africa organise a World Cup’. Colonialists over the past 100 years have gone to Africa and taken out all the best things — and now they are taking all the best footballers. There’s no respect.”