Taking back our streets for 2010

In the dead of night, the centre of Durban is not for the faint-hearted. Like many CBDs around the globe, criminals use the cover of darkness to operate. And yet, on the night of November 25 2007, Durban was one the safest cities on the plant. The occasion was the 2010 preliminary draw — Fifa’s first major international event on African soil — and a security blanket ensured that the thousands of delegates and tourists were safe.

There was a similar feeling at the launch of the first of 20 Football for Hope Centres in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, this week. The Ncomu Road Urban Park, in the suburb of Harare, was once a barren marshland (and a dumping ground for bodies). Today it has been reclaimed thanks to the combined efforts of residents, community leaders, government and, of course, the 2010 World Cup.

“It shows what we can do when we focus on getting things right rather than concentrating on what’s wrong,” said Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape, at the sod-turning ceremony.

Next month’s Confederations Cup will see major security operations being implemented in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. And the same will apply to all the other World Cup-related events, including December’s final draw (which is expected to have a global television audience of 700 million).

The police have over the past couple of years worked closely with security agencies from around the world to create no-go zones for criminals in every 2010 host city. For a country that has suffered from petty and violent crime for so long, the 2010 World Cup is a godsend.

It has freed up hundreds of millions of rands for the procurement of hi-tech equipment and the recruitment of new security personnel. Crime-weary South Africans can now look forward to a new-found sense of security. And it’s up to us to ensure that these measures remain in place long after the World Cup has left these shores.