| SA's best protectors to guard guests |
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| Tuesday, 01 June 2010 10:23 |
SA's best protectors to guard guests
SAPA-DPA guard millions of Africans everyday, including the police. Soon the country's legions of private security companies will be entrusted with the safety of foreign football fans and media representatives during the World Cup.
For the six years since it won the right to host the first World Cup on the African continent, South Africa, which has some of the worlds highest rates of violent crime, has been trying to reassure the world it can safely host the tournament.
As proof the country can pull it off, the organisers point to the 41 major events, including two World Cups (cricket and rugby) South Mricahas successfully hosted since democracy in 1994. They also point out that the 9 million people who visit South Africa each year are mostly untouched by crime. We'll be ready for any eventuality in air; water; on land, national police commissioner Bheki Cele says confidently.
But foreign players, visitors and media are dubious.
Despite the tough talk from police, the murder rate of 50 a day remained unchanged last year and carjacking and sexual offences soared.
With trained bodyguards available for around 300 a day, those who can afford it are turning to South Africa's parallel private army for protection. We're at the stage where we're turning clients away George Nicholls, founder of Nicholls Steyn & Associates, one of South Africa's top VIP protection firms said.
Nicholls said the company has been hired to protect thousands of visitors, ranging from the superrich rich and very high-end business people to groups of up to 50 corporate ticket-holders and their families. Some clients have asked for bullet-proof or stab-proof vests, he said. Nicholls Steyn was not recommending them he said. The same goes for armoured vehicles. They're the exception, rather than the rule.
Last year a German security company drew fire for reportedly recommending that Germany's players don flak jackets when venturing outside their hotel. Most experts dismissed the suggestion as hysterical.
If the risk is so high you need a bullet-proof vest, we'd have to ask ourselves why we're going there, says George Nicholls, chief executive of Pasco, another leading VIP security company.
We've got groups of over 100 coming, says British-born George Nicholls, whose clients include the English Football Association and a number of foreign media teams and whose demands range from drivers trained in evasive techniques to bodyguards and rapid response teams that can be summoned by pressing a panic device.
South Africa's department of labour counts more than 4700 registered security firms employing more than 300 000 people to guard homes and businesses even police stations. A number of the companies are owned by white ex-soldiers and special forces members, who entered the private sector after the end of apartheid. Not surprisingly, some in the industry see the World Cup as a chance to corn it even if it means bending the truth a little.
Tourists become car-hijack victims en route near the airports every single day a company calling itself World Cup Security tells visitors to its website. The company, which lists only an e-mail contact, warns: South African criminals are usually armed, and some sometimes times totally ruthless.
Some companies claiming years of experience are also reportedly rushing men through crash courses. We're aware of people using guys still being trained between now and the World Cup, says George Nicholls.
The majority of the 300 000 foreign fans expected at the World Cup, wifi, however be putting their safety in the hands of the police.
South Africa is dedicating 44 000 police to the event as part of a R1.3 billion security plan that was four years in the making and has been given the thumbs-up by Fifa and Interpol. The police will be supported by 200-strong high-tech rapid intervention units in all 11 provinces, some of whom showed off their skills at a recent display in Johannesburg.
Ironically, South African police were caught unawares the same day by reports that a Saudi suspected AI-Qaeda operative had been arrested in Iraq for allegedly plotting to attack the World Cup.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq has since denied involvement in any World Cup plot while Fifa said it was unaware of any real threat to the tournament.
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