The South African Police Service (SAPS) has deployed 800 additional police officers to beef-up security at three of the four stadiums used for Confederations Cup matches after fears that last-minute security arrangements by the organising committee (OC) would not suffice.
The Mail & Guardian has established that 300 extra police officers were deployed at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg where the opening match between South Africa and Iraq was played on Sunday. Another 250 officers were deployed at both the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg and at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
This is in addition to the 8 000 police officers already providing ‘national security†services to the tournament.
The M&G reported on Friday that the SAPS were ready to take over the entire security arrangements at Confederations Cup events after the OC failed to secure the services of private security guards until two weeks before the start of the tournament.
By the end of last week not all of the more than 3Â 000 security guards and stewards deployed at stadiums were registered with the private security regulatory authority or vetted by South Africa’s intelligence agencies.
The police subsequently stepped in and agreed to provide additional support of 800 officers at the three stadiums in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg. A total of 260 security guards were already employed at these stadiums.
Police officers were seen assisting private security guards at access points in stadiums and watching over the shoulders of stewards at Confederations Cup games played this week.
This is unusual for Fifa events, since the body’s guidelines stipulate that the OC has to take responsibility for security. This includes access to stadiums, crowd control inside stadiums and the general safety of players and spectators at Fifa events.
The OC’s Rich Mkhondo has persistently denied any safety breaches and Fifa president Sepp Blatter suggested at a press briefing on Friday that those doubting the effectiveness of security plans were racist.
At the opening match Sunday, security guards at access points were clearly overwhelmed by the thousands of spectators arriving by bus.
At one of the main entrances, only a handful of guards were checking thousands of supporters’ tickets and bags, and metal-detectors were beeping unremittingly without security guards stopping spectators to body search them or empty their bags.
The contract for private security was awarded by the OC to a small Cape Town-based outfit, Chippa Protection Services, a mere two weeks before the tournament kicked off. The company has admitted that it was under ‘tremendous pressure†to recruit, train and deploy sufficient security guards on time.