Don’t go to the World Cup 2010 in SA: World’s top security company refuses to work in South Africa – Too Dangerous
G4S, the world’s biggest security firm, will not operate at next summer’s soccer World Cup in South Africa because of concerns over the tournament’s organisation, the group’s chief executive told Reuters.
“We are not going to be involved because we don’t think the security is going to be that good — they are not that well organised yet,” Nick Buckles said in an interview.
But Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the 2010 organising committee, rejected the concerns, saying he was confident the tournament would be safe. He referred to criticism from “individual companies with vested interests.”
Jordaan said his country had hosted many major international and sporting events, including the current Indian Premier League Cricket competition, which was moved to South Africa at short notice because of security concerns during India’s general election.
“Our country has hosted at least 146 events … safely and securely and we are confident this will again be the case for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” Jordaan said in a statement.
Buckles said that for G4S, South Africa was the most dangerous country in the world to work in — ahead of Iraq and Afghanistan — with around two staff fatalities every month.
“South Africa … is a tough, tough place to do business. The whole society is different from anywhere else in the world. We do what we can in terms of protecting the crew, but they get attacked by 16, 17 people at a time sometimes,” he said.
He said the situation was compounded by customers looking for the cheapest option for security, rather than the best service, but he did expect things to improve. “People don’t really think security is that key and it should be. It will get better … It’s about us educating the market,” he said.
South Africa suffers from one of the world’s highest crime rates, with around 50 people murdered every day.
G4S has nearly 600 000 staff in over 100 countries. Its most vulnerable business in South Africa is the protection and transportation of cash, although it protects a wide range of products and industries.
G4S missed out on the Olympic Games in Beijing last year as the Chinese government took security in-house, but it hopes to be a major presence at the games in London 2012.
“We’re clearly expecting to do something in London … hopefully we’ll get the event itself,” he said, adding that the firm had already picked up a several million pounds a year contract to protect the building programme.
G4S was formed from the 2004 merger between Denmark’s Group 4 and Britain’s Securicor.
Reuters says the firm has shown little impact from the recession, partly because 30 percent of its revenues come from long-term government contracts.
Buckles said the group’s growth strategy was to offer a more comprehensive service than just security, focusing on the ports, aviation and oil & gas sectors.
“We are appointing three new sector heads to work on product development. We have to choose sectors where security and safety are key drivers,” he said.
He added that whereas the firm would have previously supplied manpower to protect an oil pipeline in Nigeria, under the new strategy it would offer a more comprehensive service, such as keeping the local community away, and introducing better technology as well as protection.
G4S is expecting a major jump in oil & gas work in Iraq to replace a drop in business as troops are withdrawn.
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Tags: G4S, security, South Africa
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Firstly, the guys in the picture are not South African as their skin is far too dark. They may be Kenyans,Zimbabweans, etc. Secondly,S.A. is being made out to be a free for all with no law and order. Where has this Buckles guy been going to? I am an Indian born in S.A. and I have travelled abroad and let me say that if you can enjoy London and its nightlife and feel safe, then you have nothing to worry about when in S.A. I think they have more robberies, satbbings and gang fights their than anywhere else in the world and to say this country is worse than Iraq and Afgan is ludicrous. The writer must be smoking some potent stuff. He is totally out of it. I hope the writer is talking about S.A. and not some other country. I invite all to S.A and check out our hospitality, great weather, beaches, game reserves, mountains, world class accommodation, state of the art golf courses, magnificent shopping malls, etc. Everyone is welcome here and please be sure to enjoy and have a great time. We are all proud S.Africans and will not standby and accept comments aimed at damaging our country. Anyway people who have been here for RWC, CWC(twice), the IPL, numerous concerts of high profile stars will know that this is one of the better countries to visit. Every country has some sort of problem , but you need to deal with it and get on with life not let it be an obstacle.
Have a great day or evening wherever you are and be sure to make your way to S.A. next year.
Sanjay – I don’t know what you have been smoking, but the RSA is now the most violent country in the world. You have more rapes, murders, robberies, car jackings and farm murders per capita than any other industrialized country on earth. Whites and east indians are specific targets because they are generally more successful than the negro. The corruption of the ruling Marxist-ANC government is appalling, and the national police service has become a joke under majority rule. But it’s just history repeating itself isn’t it? look what happened to Rhodesia under a Marxist tyrant called Robert Mugabe. A fabulous, first world nation in Africa reduced to ashes in 25 years. It’s always the same when negroes take over. They are backward, lazy, incompetent, tribally ingrained and violent. Not all blacks are like this of course, but just show me ANY black country – even a city that has been a roaring success. In 15-20 years SA will be another Zimbabwe. Majority rules strikes again.