"Phillip" (Feel It, It is Here) might have come and gone but the security legacy in the fight against crime is benefitting the country. Beyond just the resources, the re-skilling of police, expertise and international best practices acquired will also form the foundation of this policing approach.
This is a firm view of the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, in reference to a Parliamentary question posed by one of the opposition parties on the police's budget spending for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"Our preparations premised from an undertaking that human life by far supersedes our monetary investments and equipments, as such became a key priority. We assured South Africans and our visitors from across the world that we will do our best to ensure their safety, and we kept our promise".
The minister stated that in the build-up to the tournament, the ministry further publicly shared its comprehensive security plan, which included South Africa's approach to addressing any potential terror threats, hooliganism and crime. The plan further outlined the monetary investments, equipments to be purchased and utilised as well as the human capital we had invested in.
"We spent our budget accountably and sensibly in accordance with the crime prevention and combating approach of this security plan, which resulted in the safety of our citizens and visitors from around the world. All these resources are still with police, even after "Phillip" has gone and are serving as an enormous arsenal in our fight against crime," the minister pointed out.
A total budget of R1,3 billion was initially set aside for the security plan of the world cup. To date, an amount of approximately R572 million (R571 332 153.50 to be specific) has been spent on procuring such equipments. These included crowd control equipment, crime scene trainers, helicopters, water cannons, 100 BMWs for highway patrol and up to date body armour.
During the tournament, various state of the art information and communications military technology was utilised, including a fleet of 40 helicopters. A dedicated Force of over 44 000 officers were also deployed at all match venues, hotels, stadia and key strategic spots.
Some of the first phase of strategic equipment and services procured together with an indication of the cost incurred include RCU water cannons, sirens, blue lights and headlight flashing units for vehicles, refurbishment of Nyalas, forensic science laboratory and bomb squad items, cartridge and ammunition to mention but a few.
About 300 mobile cameras were used at various operations, which featured high technology monitoring equipment. The remainder of this budget is being utilised for mainly deployment costs but also goods, services, accommodation, food and overtime.
"The number of police personnel added to the force as well as the equipment acquired for their use, is one of the important legacies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That is why the emphasis is now towards sustaining these best practices and continuing to deal a deadly blow to crime," concluded the minister.
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