Retha Grobbelaar

Johannesburg – The local organising committee for the Confederations Cup only appointed a company to provide security some two weeks before the start of the tournament.

Chippa Protection Services, a national company with their head office in Cape Town, only received the contract to provide security to stadiums, training grounds and hotels for the tournament on May 29. The event gets underway on June 14.

However, the local organising committee has argued that security for the tournament was not compromised.

“Security is not in danger. We have been negotiating with the company since March this year. Of what importance is the signing of the documents? They have the staff,” said Rich Mkhondo, head of communications.

Managing Director, Siviwe "Chippa" Mpengesi, said the tendering process had started in February this year.

“Why did it take them so long to decide? The organising committee should answer these questions,” he said.

According to reports last Friday, a consortium consisting of a Swedish conglomerate, Securitas, and a South African company, Stallion Security, had at first been awarded the tender.

Negotiations failed as the parties could not agree on payment for the guards. Chippa Protection Services was the reserve bidder.

According to Mpengesi, the organising committee wanted them to start on May 30.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t as we still had to get new guards and train them,” he said.

Mpengesi confirmed 1 300 new guards were selected.

Some of these guards had to start on Monday, June 1 and had only one day's training.

However, Mpengesi added that the guards got security clearance and would undergo more training.

“In this industry one is used to emergency situations. It is a challenge, but I am full of confidence. We aren't sleeping and are working 24 hours per day,” he said.

According to Mpengesi, Chippa Protection Services, which was started in 2002, provides security services for Metrorail, Transnet and for educational facilities in the Western Cape.

Dr Johan Burger, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies' (ISS) crime, justice and political programme, said it was unfathomable to him that a security company had only been appointed now.

“Someone at the organising committee didn’t do his job,” he said.

According to Burger, guards working at these kinds of events had to get additional security clearance from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in conjunction with the police’s crime intelligence unit. This could take several weeks.

“The only positive thing is that it is happening now. We can’t make the same mistake next year (ahead of the Soccer World Cup),” he said.