Disasters Outside of World Cup Areas Could Take Harder Toll

World Cup disaster preparedness and personnel allocation could leave non-World Cup areas high and dry during the Cup.

We have not seen the cities’ disaster management plans, but it is almost guaranteed cities will place the majority of their emergency personnel in and around the designated sporting venues. In addition, most of the equipment, such as emergency motor vehicles, will also be deployed there.

This means few resources would be available to be deployed if any non-soccer World Cup emergencies were to occur. Therefore ordinary citizens’ access to emergency services is likely to be drastically curtailed for the duration of the soccer spectacular.

Fewer emergency resources for SA public during Cup
The Herald
May 6, 2010

Bombing Threatened During World Cup

Reputed terrorist group al Qaeda has released a statement suggesting it will attack a game at the World Cup.

"How amazing could the match United States vs. Britain be when broadcasted live on air at a stadium packed with spectators when the sound of an explosion rumbles through the stands, the whole stadium is turned upside down and the number of dead bodies are in their dozens and hundreds, Allah willing," reads a statement the group published in a recent issue of the Jihadi online magazine Mushtaqun Lel Jannah (Longing to Paradise).

Qaeda Group Threatens to Attack World Cup
CBS
April 7, 2010

Breachable Border May Be Security Concern During Cup

Defense analysts are expressing concerns about terrorist threats during the World Cup because of South Africa's porous border, which will be easy to breach for anyone intending to pose an attack.

"The World Cup will be a real problem as we have no way of controlling anyone coming through a beach or a land border," defence analyst Helmoed Heitman said during a border security conference organised by DefenceWeb, a security news service in Midrand.

"If someone wants to cross into SA it's not very difficult to do."

South Africa: SA's Borders 'Vulnerable' for World Cup
Business Day
March 18, 2010

Police Wary of Terror Threat Inspired by Visiting Countries

Police in South Africa are preparing for the possibiliy of terrorist attacks during the World Cup. Officials have said that more than 52,000 police officers would be on duty during the month-long event. Though a threat is not likely, police officials there say international presence of other countries may cause tensions.

"There is no intelligence to suggest there there is any threat of terrorism during the World Cup. South Africa on its own is not a target for terrorism," [Senior Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo, the national police spokesman for the World Cup] said.

But he added that some of the teams taking part, which might include both the United States and England, could be seen as potential targets. "There is the potential that one or two of those countries may import the threat of a terrorism attack into the country," he added.

World Cup police braced for terror attack
Reuters
August 3, 2009

Securing South Africa's Airspace

Police forces in South Africa are training for possible airstrikes during the upcoming Confederations Cup and World Cup.

...[T]his week's joint defence force and police training simulation, dubbed "Exercise Shield 3" was aimed at testing their ability to secure airspace during high visibility events.

The operation at Swartkops airbase included a staged hijacking of an aircraft and a demonstration of how two Hawk fighter planes can intercept a hijacked plane, forcing it to land.

The simulation also made use of bomb disposal units, hostage negotiators, sniffer dogs, and a remote-controlled robot.

SAPS Director David Garnett said the intervention teams would be deployed in all host cities to deal with any threats relating to the soccer event.

Source:
Security forces get ready for Fifa tournament
Independent Online
March 21, 2009