/ 10 November 2006

Mti being considered for World Cup security post

Outgoing prisons chief Linda Mti has not yet been appointed as head of security for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Beeld reported on Friday.

It quoted local organising committee (LOC) spokesperson Tumi Makgabo as saying Mti was still being considered for the position.

Discussions and negotiations on the matter were continuing and nothing had been decided yet.

The Department of Correctional Services announced on Thursday that Mti was leaving to take up the post of head of security for the tournament.

It said Mti had been approached by the LOC, and his appointment was confirmed several months ago.

But Makgabo said the post of security chief had been widely advertised and Mti had not been approached by the LOC.

Mti’s resignation, which was approved by the Cabinet, came after a tumultuous year for him.

On Tuesday, Johannesburg police confirmed that he had been arrested for drunken driving. He was released on a warning and will appear in court in January.

Earlier, he was severely criticised in Parliament for diverting funds. He also came under fire recently for having received a R30 000 performance bonus while his department received qualified audit reports for the past five years. – Sapa