South Africa fears tourists could fall prey to armed robbers, many from neighbouring states, at the 2010 Soccer World Cup, a government minister said on Thursday.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula told reporters the region’s police chiefs are trying to tackle cross-border crime.
”High on their agenda are crimes that might impact negatively on preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup … We are particularly concerned about aggravated robberies that are part and parcel of organised crime in South Africa,” Nqakula said.
Millions of tourists are expected in South Africa for the month-long extravaganza, the first time the World Cup has been hosted in Africa.
South Africa is concerned an influx of foreign criminals would exacerbate already high crime levels. ”There is concern about criminality in South Africa in general,” Nqakula said.
Police say many local crimes are committed by citizens of neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique who operate in South Africa where pickings are richer.
Nqakula said there has been several meetings of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation, aimed at beefing up intelligence gathering and sharing. ”An aspect which is important to us … [is] to know where those people who potentially want to engage in crime are going to be coming from, and the profiles of such people.”
He said the government is finalising a national anti-crime strategy for tourists.
The government has boosted the number of police reservists by more than 45 000 and is also formalising an arrangement with the private security sector to combat high levels of crime.
Record defended
Earlier this month, World Cup 2010 chief Danny Jordaan defended South Africa’s safety record in hosting major sporting events, arguing that not one fan or athlete had been affected in 13 years.
Responding to fears that South Africa’s crime problem might affect the World Cup, Jordaan claimed that rising tourist numbers indicated there were no major safety issues about which to be concerned.
”Over the last three years, the tourist figures have grown by an average 11%, and higher every year,” Jordaan told a World Cup 2010 briefing at London’s South Africa House. ”So more and more people are coming to South Africa.”
He said that there had never been any reports of fans or athletes being robbed, killed or injured.
”A month ago, Tottenham Hotspur were there. Ask them,” he said. ”Three months ago, the England rugby team were there, they didn’t do very well, but they had a good time and were very safe. Ask them.
”Ask those who came for the Rugby World Cup. The Cricket World Cup, the African Cup of Nations — not a single incident. We had Barcelona, we had England, Argentina, Germany, all of the big teams in the world playing. Not a single incident in South Africa over 13 years around any of our major events.”
Jordaan said South Africa’s crime rate is borne out of a lack of education and chronic unemployment. ”But our ability to safeguard all of our visitors and all of our guests at our sports events over the last 13 years, [there has been] not a single incident,” he said. — Reuters, Sapa-AP