The National Joint Operational Centre (NATJOC) of South Africa’s security forces became fully operational at one minute past midnight in the country’s capital city this morning.
Situated at an undisclosed military base in Pretoria, with the most sophisticated technology at their disposal, the South African Police Service, South African National Defence Force, Metro Police, intelligence agencies and several representatives of various government departments, began their 24 hourly deployments on Wednesday morning, which will continue for the next eight weeks.
All security operations relating to the 2010 FIFA World Cup including the close protection of the 32 teams and the FIFA family, as well as various visiting heads of state and dignitaries, policing at ports of entry, route security, inner city security, stadium security, air and maritime defence and general crime prevention duties will be commanded from the NATJOC.
The coordinating body is the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), which was mandated by Cabinet to secure this major international event. The South African Police Service is the lead department of the NATJOINTS, but the support and assistance of all partners and role players will ensure that security is optimal at all venues and that law enforcement is visible without being intrusive.
The NATJOINTS reports to a Directors-General Committee comprising of the National Commissioner of the SAPS, the Chief of the SANDF, as well as the Directors General of the intelligence agencies and other government departments.
Provincial Joint Operational Centres (PROVJOC’s), which will be fully functional in all nine provinces by this weekend, will function in a similar manner to that of the NATJOC and all security activities will be finely coordinated.
The NATJOINTS is also very proud to announce that an international police cooperation centre has also been established at a venue in Pretoria at which police officials from various playing and neighbouring countries are being hosted and will perform duties in support of the South African Police Service.
Of the 31 playing countries besides South Africa, 27 of their police services have sent representatives who will deploy with the SAPS, both in uniform and in plain clothes within and outside the various stadiums. These police officials will perform non-executive tasks (that is, without the power of arrest) but will be of great assistance to the SAPS especially in terms of liaising with their country’s fans and identifying any form of disruptive behaviour.
Representatives from several of our neighbouring countries in the Southern African region have also arrived and reported for duty at the International Police Cooperation Centre. Their function will be to coordinate information between the countries, especially in terms of the movement of fans across our common borders and coordinated cross-border crime combating operations.
The NATJOC will, in addition, liaise closely and continuously with FIFA and the Organising Committee as well as with other police centres which are linked to operations. The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Bheki Cele, inspected the NATJOC facility this morning and encouraged those working there to give of their very best and to make the most of the “once in a lifetime opportunity”.
“Within a few short weeks, the rest of the world will almost cease to exist, South Africa will be the world,” said General Cele. “It is up to all of you who will be making security decisions and commanding the troops on the ground to lead the way and set an example, to ensure the success of this tournament. Ke Nako – the time has arrived, make South Africa proud,” he urged the assembled members.
Enquiries:
Sally de Beer
Cell: 082 779 8658
Issued by: Ministry of Police
26 May 2010
Source: South African Police Service (http://www.saps.gov.za/)
