A few weeks ago one of the directors of Pasco was interviewed on air by a local radio station on the issue of World Cup security. So enthusiastic was the interviewer that after every question he would shout “can you feel it?”. 'It', as it transpired, referred broadly to a 'vibe' around the first World Cup to be hosted on the African continent. With the 'vibe' around the FIFA 2010 World Cup having definitely upped a gear or two, the answer to this question appears to be a resounding “yes”. Even an announcement by state electricity provider Eskom that there could be supply problems during the tournament appears to have been met with a casual acceptance quite contrary to the customary indignation that normally accompanies failures in service delivery in this country, and the closure of key roads in Sandton and other CBD areas appears to have been met with similar stoicism. Security concerns, which have served as a perennial issue since the tournament was awarded to South Africa, are however proving to be more resistant to the feel-good element pertaining to the World Cup.

Concerns about World Cup safety and security have undoubtedly been fueled by persons and entities that know relatively little about the realities of the South African security risk environment. Pasco is for example aware of at least one contingent of foreign fans who canceled their plans to attend the World Cup after reading in a British tabloid about an alleged “machete threat” to World Cup visitors. In reality, fans are at higher risk of incurring hearing impairments from 60,000 blaring vuvuzelas than from machete-wielding mobs.

As we have consistently pointed out in articles posted on this site, one should also however not be complacent about personal safety and security during the World Cup. There are crime syndicates that will seek to exploit opportunities created by the influx of visitors and the fact that the primary attention of the police services will be directed to the events themselves. But these conditions have applied to other major events held in the past in South Africa, including cricket and rugby world cups, and those events were highly rated in terms of safety and security. Follow the safety guidelines posted in recent articles on this site, and the risks of one becoming a crime statistic are considerably reduced, at least to a level that is comparable to any other country or event in the world.

Terrorism, as we have previously noted, is notoriously difficult to predict as a risk factor. Pasco's position has been that the threat of a major terrorist incident is low, but cannot be entirely excluded. The murder of right-wing activist Eugene Terre'Blanche in April this year has inevitably raised concerns about an ultra-right backlash targeted at the World Cup. This threat appears to have gained some substance with the recent announcement by South African authorities that a right-wing plot to bomb historically black township areas was foiled, although it remains uncertain how much substance there was to the alleged plot. In the past couple of days, news reports in South Africa, apparently emanating from German media sources, have claimed that a senior Al Qaeda official detained in Iraq was planning an attack aimed at the World Cup. South African police services were however quick to point out that they knew nothing about this, and the credibility of the claim remains uncertain. Extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb has openly threatened to attack the World Cup, singling out the match between the United States and England at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg. However, this group has few known connections to any militant groups in South Africa, and local support and expertise would be essential for any operation of this nature. As we have also previously emphasised, England playing the USA would in any event be a potential target irrespective of where in the world the event took place, and it can be taken as a certainty that international and local counter-terrorism units have been planning for this match since the draw was announced in December last year.

Notwithstanding delays in the appointment of private sector security services, security in and around the World Cup stadiums generally appears to be on track and there has been a noticeable shift in anxiety on the part of FIFA away from stadium readiness towards issues of potential counterfeiting of tickets. This is a strong indicator that the world's football authorities are quietly satisfied that all reasonable measures have been taken to protect the tournament.

Taking these factors into consideration, Pasco remains optimistic that the World Cup will prove to be a resounding success. To some extent, our position is probably influenced by the fact that, as a South African owned international company, we have lived through several events and multiple predictions of disaster since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, while also having an informed basis to compare local preparations and conditions to those elsewhere in the world. We are however also mindful of the fact that in today's world there is no such thing as a risk-free event or environment, and presence of mind is a fundamental requirement wherever one travels or operates. In our next feature, which will appear roughly two weeks before kick-off, we shall provide advice for visitors on what to expect and do in event of a major security incident.