SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Police assume responsibility for security inside four World Cup stadiums

Record ID: 454890

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Police assume responsibility for security inside four World Cup stadiums
  • Date: 18th June 2010
  • Summary: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSIONER BHEKI CELE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLICE COMMISSIONER BHEKI CELE SAYING: "Are we taking over or not? Yes. South african police have taken over only those stadiums that have been abandoned. The other stadiums are still under this company called Fidelity. But I want to assure everybody, should they think otherwise, should they think that their colleagues are ready to take off, even an hour before the match or two hours before the match, we are ready. We have our conditions covering all stadia should anything happen, that people should want to withdraw." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLICE COMMISSIONER BHEKI CELE SAYING: "If anybody else disrupts any other stadium, we are ready, in the shortest possible time, to take over that stadium. There shall be no disruption of 2010 FIFA World Cup matches here in South Africa, under the guide of the South African police." POLICE COMMISSIONER LEAVING DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2010) (REUTERS) LOCAL NEWSPAPER HEADLINE VARIOUS DURBAN STADIUM VARIOUS FIRED STADIUM WORKERS OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF STALLION SECURITY (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNNAMED MALE WORKER SAYING: "FIFA decided that they don't want Stallion anymore and unfortunately we are also out. But all in all, what I wanted to say that as security we where not trying to break anything or break any law, we where trying to fight for our rights to be paid according to our grades." STADIUM WORKER OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF STALLION SECURITY (SOUNDBITE) (Zulu) UNNAMED FEMALE WORKER SAYING: "Stallion employers take it for granted that we are unemployed and then they decided to pay up peanuts." STADIUM WORKER OUTSIDE THE OFFICES OF STALLION SECURITY
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5ETYM4LYDU28IRY7XCQKA8B0
  • Story Text: Police have taken responsibility for World Cup stadium security in Cape Town, both Johannesburg venues, and the venues in Durban and Port Elizabeth since stewards began protests on Sunday night.
    A labour dispute that forced police to take over security inside four World Cup stadiums is an embarrassment for local organisers who had a similar problem a year ago during the Confederations Cup.
    Police said they have permanently taken over security at the showpiece Soccer City stadium and Ellis Park in Johannesburg, and the newly-built arenas in Cape Town and Durban. They were already guarding the coastal stadium in Port Elizabeth.
    "South African police have taken over only those stadiums that have been abandoned. The other stadiums are still under this company called Fidelity. But I want to assure everybody, should they think otherwise, should they think that their colleagues are ready to take off, even an hour before the match or two hours before the match, we are ready. We have our conditions covering all stadia should anything happen, that people should want to withdraw," said National police chief Bheki Cele.
    The recent takeovers, involving at least 4,000 police officers, follow a wage dispute between stewards, assigned to security inside the stadiums by the local organising committee, and their employers, Stallion Security.
    Security is a major concern because of South Africa's frighteningly high rates of violent crime -- some of the highest in the world outside a war zone.
    Police had taken over security in Port Elizabeth before the tournament began because of another wage dispute between stewards and their employers.
    Local media reports last year said Stallion pulled out at the last minute from a contract to protect the Confederations Cup in 2009 -- the dress rehearsal for the World Cup -- due to a dispute with local organisers over salaries to be paid to guards.
    That pullout caused police to be called in to guard some stadiums because smaller security companies deployed at short notice lacked enough personnel and training.
    World Cup local organising chief Danny Jordaan has expressed anger at the stewards, many of whom have been paid off for going on strike, but critics say the organisers should have seen the dispute coming to avoid the diversion of a 41,000-strong police contingent deployed to protect teams and fans everywhere else.
    Despite the strain on his resources, Police chief Cele said that the use of his force could be used to guard other stadiums if the need should arise.
    "If anybody else disrupts any other stadium, we are ready, in the shortest possible time, to take over that stadium. There shall be no disruption of 2010 FIFA World Cup matches here in South Africa, under the guide of the South African police."
    The dispute caused the first serious violence of the World Cup early on Monday (June 14) when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse stewards protesting over their wages.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register