2010 security concerns highlighted by Mumbai

The hideous attack on the Indian city of Mumbai has once again demonstrated that terrorism has no boundaries. And with the spotlight now shifting to South Africa as the hosts of the next mega global sporting event, concerns over this country’s security have been raised.

The Sunday Times warns that we must be vigilant: “The 2010 World Cup will attract attention like no event in this country’s history. We must be aware that international criminal syndicates and terrorist organisations have very likely factored us into their business plans.”

There are, of course, no guarantees that South Africa will not become a target, but the SA Police Services deserve some credit for the initiatives that have been launched to help secure the host country — and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who are expected. Over the past couple of years, the SAPS has actively engaged with some of the top international law enforcement agencies, including Interpol and the FBI, to address issues like border control, terrorism and crowd control.

The SAPS has budgeted R1.3 billion to safeguard the Confederation Cup and 2010 World Cup. Of this, some R660-million is being used to pay for new equipment including six Robinson R44 Raven II light helicopters, one Israeli water cannon, mobile command vehicles, 300 mobile cameras, 54 BMW patrol vehicles and French body armour.

In addition, an estimated 40 000 new policemen will be on the streets within the next year to help secure all the host cities. There are also moves to facilitate the recruitment and training of crime prevention volunteers to assist the police during the tournament. In KwaZulu-Natal, more than 3 000 volunteers have been recruited and trained as a community policing mechanism to help secure the province.

As a result, the chances are that all of South Africa – with the rest of the world watching – will relish the experience of living in a country where law and order prevails. The next challenge will be to ensure that those systems are retained long after the World Cup leaves these shores.