Tournament News

24hr security for SWC teams

2010-03-10 07:39

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Starrider3/12/2010 8:58 AM: What is Govt doing about crime against the hundreds and thousands of visiting spectators? There is no drive or projects highlighting danger spots, criminal traits, what to be aware of etc. My friends just arrived from Australia for a nice long visit and to enjoy the SWC, and they had their bank account cleaned out by a very "friendly" petrol attendant, wielding a card scanning device. They decided to take the plane back to Aus, vowing never to return here. Now this is just one incident and the image and experience these people are taking back to Australia. This country is an embarrassment with its crime, drunk and criminal politicians, who in broad daylight rallies the youth of this country to kill white farmers. I have also personally been burgled twice in the last three months. If there are any fogreigners reading this article...please be warned, you WILL be targets, and consider yourself lucky if you only get robbed. All this country is eagerly awaiting is the money rolling in....businesses, criminals, politicians(also criminals), but the image of this country and its crime will cause far more damage to the already pathetic opinion the rest of the world has of us. As for our poor soccer team...good luck, I dont have much hope, but you guys still have my support. Me, I am off to the South of France to go enjoy the crimeless and civilised lifestyle of the Mediterranean for the European summer.

Marius 3/11/2010 2:04 PM: Kurt... Hou jou mond want jy weet niks!!!! Word wakker... Mense soos jy maak my siek!!!!!

Poacher3/10/2010 4:05 PM: @AJ about Kurt. Why are you getting your knickers in a knot AJ. He speaks the truth. The lame duck regime that runs this country can't organise a piss-up in a brewery properly. The place looks like a friggen war zone with all the Army woosies in full uniform and policemen with boeps brandishing assualt rifles :(

Awe3/10/2010 2:50 PM: And then if we don't have 24h security for the international teams , everybody would be up in arms if a team was attacked and players are killed. Yes SA doesn't have good police coverage , totally true and yes we should have better police services for our people, but every major event in the world has better security for the visiting internationals , thats how it is.

AJ @ Kurt3/10/2010 12:50 PM: London has worse crime than SA? Kurt I know the internet (mercifully in your case) allows for anonymity when posting comments, but there is still the issue of self-respect that one should deal with, regardless of the platform you are using.

Lesley3/10/2010 12:46 PM: agree. i wish sa wasnt hosting this tournament as its nothing but a smokescreen for all the problems in sa.

WILSON3/10/2010 11:17 AM: i think the've got the point to protect visitors because of the fact that there is a myth they will be coming with a lot of money so some south african they are training for robbing these people. e.g i was nearly mugged while in the stadium while people watching and didn't do nothing so it was on my powers to survive.

Andre3/10/2010 10:17 AM: It is exactly things like this which are causing the current violent protests in Mamelodi. To quote another News24 article ["If the government could spend millions of rands and prepare for the World Cup so quickly, it's a disgrace that people are still living in squalor in squatter camps," Vusi Nkosi, a resident, said on Tuesday.] Again we are taking a top-down approach to solving problems when we should be working form the bottom up. And another thing - didn't the SAPD complain a week or so back that illegal immigrants are putting too much strain on the police force? I really don't want to see international teams/visitors fall victim to violent crimes, I'm just worried about our infrastructure as far as policing is concerned... But knowing the government, they're just gonna throw money (taxpayers') at the problem to try and make it go away.

@ Rich3/10/2010 9:49 AM: You totaly miss the point. You state that "SA is under obligation from FIFA to protect the teams (and supporters.)" No, SA is under obligation to provide protection for its own citizens first. This is not happening.

Tolla3/10/2010 9:08 AM: All very well that the SWC teams and fans are protected by 80 000 police while the townships, settlements and suburbs burn with rioting and protests on lack of service delivery. All very well that the fans and teams are protected by police paid for by SA taxpayers while the fuel drivers are on strike while aircraft are stuck at airports because of lack of fuel. all very well to that the SWC fans and teams are protected by police while 52 South Africans are murdered daily; 150 vehicle highjackings and 380 robberies take place daily. Bottom line. SA cannot host a SWC properly unless it's own house is in order.

Spartan3/10/2010 9:01 AM: they have no choice, SA's crime reputation is well known now, & to think that about 2 years ago, the minister of police stood up in parliment & said, white people must stop complaining about crime, its in their imagination, if they dont like it (the crime situation) they should leave the country..now we have come full circle & the crime has got so bad that he ANC govt. has no clue how to even start to srot it out.

Boer3/10/2010 8:59 AM: The ANCYL have begun singing the old 'kill the boer' song. That means the lives of white visitors will be put at risk, as the followers of Malema set about following his orders. - Kurt is a clueless. Compare statistics with the UK and our selves before commenting.

nigel3/10/2010 8:57 AM: its amazing how much effort the Govt. is prepared to put in for something that is close to it's heart...like a few soccer games, but when it comes to protecting its own citizens or running the country, it is utterly complacent, to the point that it has no real plan a year after elections. Its a bit like the ANC's ability to market itself before an election, or the ability to collect taxes, but after it has been elected, this ingenuity & skill is not to be seen in the delivery of services, or actually serving the people that voted it in...funny thing that.

Yes3/10/2010 8:56 AM: Now the teams from other countries have security and might be safe, but what about the spectators?

rich (also a taxpayer)3/10/2010 8:56 AM: This is not uncommon - there have been bomb plots during the last 3 Olympics (Sydney, Athens & Beijing), and considering the Togo football and Sri Lanka cricket attacks I think this is a sensible precaution. SA is under obligation by FIFA to protect the teams (and supporters), otherwise the World Cup couldnt have been hosted here. I think the picture of police in full riot gear chosen by sport24 is a little sensationalist. @kurt - Total crimes per capita are higher in England than in South Africa, but that is because more petty crimes are reported in England, they are skewed stats. Unfortunately serious crimes like murder, rape and kidnapping are much higher in SA. Stop whinging about the World Cup people. This is the opportunity to show the world what an amazing country we live in.

mart.3/10/2010 8:38 AM: I just hope there are still enough cops to patrol the neighbourhoods we live in !!!

Taxpayer3/10/2010 8:15 AM: SWC teams are priviliged. They get 24-hour security, while SA citizens get zero security. We just have to accept that our government have no willingness to provide our right to safety and security. But overseas citizens get 24-hour security. In summary, the security of overseas citizens are more important than that of SA citizens.

Kurt3/10/2010 8:14 AM: I find this absolutely appauling. Is this done in other countries where the world cup goes. People should realise there are countries worse than us, for example London which is in the UK, have worse crime than us, but they want better security when they come here. At the moment, I would rather just not host the world cup than caugh up and jump whenever FIFA expects something. It really dissappoints me as a South African that we must put full forces out to watch a team sleep at night. And also the scanning of the busses, if the busses are secured properly then things will be fine!

grant3/10/2010 8:12 AM: and we are supposed to feel safe?????????? who is monitoring the stadiums

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