Call for Cup backup puts province on spot

The Gauteng government is in a tussle with the World Cup local organising committee over its last- minute request for 1000 volunteer security officers.

The event is only 77 days away.

It emerged during a meeting of the province's portfolio committees in Johannesburg this week that the Cup organising committee had asked the Gauteng community safety portfolio committee to provide the officers to safeguard VIP areas, stadiums, hotels and fan parks.

But the portfolio committee - and the opposition - raised concerns that the request would leave the province cash-strapped. And they said that the request had been made far too late.

Gauteng community safety spokesman Sizwe Matshikiza refused to say how much it would cost the department to provide the patrols.

"The department is scheduled to meet organising committee representatives in the near future. This meeting will further discuss issues raised in previous interactions and those that might have arisen from deliberations of the Gauteng portfolio committee on community safety," he said.

At a meeting on March 4, the head of the provincial department of community safety, Mongezi Tshongweni, asked why the organising committee had made an about-turn in requesting the guards.

He said the request came only after his department had asked questions about the security company that the Cup organisers planned to use.

Hermene Koorts, the Cope spokesman on community safety, said deploying guards from all over Gauteng, and requirements such as uniforms, accommodation, food and pay, would cost the department millions.

She said that though it was important to ensure the success of the World Cup, the organising committee's request would force the province to recover the losses by taking money from other departments to balance the books at the end of the financial year.

"Initially, we approached the organising committee and offered to help, but they turned us away and said they would use their own security company.

"I think there was a problem with the security company and they came back to us after we had drawn up our budget. This puts a strain on us.

"We now have to adjust money on our adjustment bill, take money from other departments to cover our over-expenditure," Koorts said.

Repeated attempts to get comment from organising committee spokesman Rich Mkhondo were unsuccessful.

Ncedo Kumbaca, spokesman for community safety in Eastern Cape, said 500 guards were being trained to assist with security at six public viewing areas.

"This project will be but one of our many 2010 safety and security legacy projects," he said.

"The funding for this training has been secured from the safety and security sector education and training authority."

http://www.go2010.co.za/