S’Africa drafts 40,000 Police Officers For Security

South African authorities have dedicated more than 40,000 police officers to provide security preparatory to the World Cup, Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa has said.

“It will be folly for any country to grandstand and proclaim that it is free from terror attacks,” Mthethwa told foreign correspondents in Johannesburg early in the week.

Tidesports source quotes the minister as saying that there were various categories of security teams to nip in the bud any possible targets by terrorists. 

“Our preparations have been both proactively and reactively undertaken to overcome any such potential threats because we are to host 31 other nations.

“Any type of deviant behaviour, be it criminality or terrorism, will be dealt with swiftly and with no mercy,” he said. 

Mthethwa said that since 2004, South Africa had worked closely with international agencies to overcome any potential terror threat.

The minister also said the country was partnering with British  security agencies to prevent hooligans from coming to the soccer tournament.

He said security arrangements were in top shape to keep all teams safe but urged owners of the five-star Velmore Grande Hotel, where the German team will stay, to put their house in order.

“The hotel has been engrossed in some issues over some required permits required by South African authorities,” he said.

Mthethwa said the police would not guard any hotel which ran foul of the law.

He said the police were taking steps to ensure that xenophobic attacks would not recur.