By Duncan Mackay
November 25 – Danny Jordaan (pictured), the chief executive of South Africa 2010, has hit out at the British Government for warning fans travelling to next year’s event to be aware of car-jackers.
British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said yesterday that fans travelling to South Africa had to be aware of the measures they had to take to ensure their safety.
Jordaan claimed that the warning was just scare-mongering.
He said: ”We do not understand where this kind of statement is coming from.
“We do not believe that the Foreign Office Minister is correct in his findings.”
Launching its Be On The Ball campaign aimed at helping fans, the Foreign Office warned of high levels of crime.
It said supporters should watch out for carjackers, especially near Johannesburg airport.
Jordaan claimed similar advice had not been given to cricket fans currently in the country watching their team play against South Africa or to rugby fans who visited the country earlier this year for the British Lions tour.
Jordaan said: ”The British and Irish Lions came here, and they had such a good time they wanted to extend their stay in this country.”
Crime and safety in South Africa has come under the spotlight recently, with several countries raising security fears.
Having spent nearly £100 million on equipment that includes new helicopters, pursuit vehicles and the latest crime-fighting and prevention technology, the South African police are well-armed to deal with any threats against teams, players and personnel, they claim.
Vish Naidoo, a senior superintendent with South Africa’s Police, said: “They will have a special focus.
“We will have teams of highly trained and highly skilled police to protect the teams.
“There will be personal protection for the teams, the players and the coaching staffs as well and every training centre will have its own [police] command centre.”
The country has recruited 55,000 new police officers, 41,000 of them with training and experience in major events will be mobilised with support from the South African defence forces and a presence of police from every competing country.
The police point to the country’s record of hosting more than 140 major events, including the rugby and cricket World Cups, without any significant problems.
Gary Mabbutt, the former England and Tottenham Hotspur defender who is a World Cup ambassador for South Africa, said: “£100 million is being spent on safety and security.
“There are 41,000 police officers specifically trained for the World Cup and 120,000 reservists to be called up.”
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