RUSTENBURG // Security was one of the major talking points before the World Cup and supporters going to watch the England-United States match last night were subject to water-tight precautions - in part because of the attendance of Joe Biden, the US Vice President - in order to gain access to the Royal Bafokeng stadium.
The R565, the main road servicing the ground, was blocked from 2pm local time for the 8.30pm kick off. Park and Ride services ferried in thousands of St George's Cross and Stars and Stripes flag-waving fans from the security perimeter 2kms away from the ground. Every fan had to show their ticket to board a bus, there was only one rule: no ticket, no ride. Despite the extra precautions, the atmosphere in and around the venue was electric, with fans from both teams unperturbed by media stories of the threat of crime.
"We feel safe, we haven't had any problems with security," said Juan Mesa, a US fan from Miami who drove from Johannesburg to Rustenburg yesterday morning. "The security at the opening ceremony and inauguration game wasn't as high as it is here. "There are metal detectors everywhere here, but they only had them at the main gate yesterday [for the South Africa-Mexio game in Johannesburg]. The high police presence makes us all feel a little safer."
"We live here and are used to this kind of thing," said Gavin Vermaak, an England-supporting Johannesburg resident who attended the Group C game with his wife Lisa. "The security is more than adequate." For organisers, protecting football teams from two nations, which are regularly subjected to terrorism threats, warranted increased security and manpower yesterday. Luigi Casizzi, an England fan who moved from Dubai to Johannesburg three years ago, said the level of security is understandable.
"At every major tournament or event in the world you will find drummed up security," he said. "The World Cup is no exception. You can't get within two kilometres of this stadium in a car. But me and my son just parked up and walked down the road - people are friendly, they are all waving and blowing their vuvuzelas, there's no problem." Every country and its cities suffer from crime, argued Bernie Clifton, the trombone player in the official England Band. "It is a great media story for people to exaggerate the security issues," he said. "No doubt they are there, but as far as I'm concerned they are far outweighed by the atmosphere, friendliness and hospitality of everyone."
In a country that averages 50 murders a day, it did not come as a shock that safety and security were catapulted to the World Cup forefront before a ball had been kicked. Statistically, South Africa is one of the world's most dangerous nations. In residential areas electrified fences and private cars loaded with armed security men evidence a nationwide crime epidemic. Prior to the South African showpiece, Danny Jordaan, chief executive officer of the tournament's organising committee, promised there would be "no security issues around the World Cup."
Yet there have already been incidents. Swift justice, however, is a deterrent. A South African court yesterday handed 34 years of combined sentences to three men convicted of robbing Portuguese and Spanish media at gunpoint last week. Nonetheless, three Greek players joined the tournament's growing list of crime victims after falling prey to burglars at their team hotel in Durban. Chinese media and a Uruguayan official have also been robbed in the last two days.
Despite the visible security presence in Rustenburg, however, fans at the match were keen to stress that they felt safe. "My take on the situation is that there are places in this world where you do not want to be at 3am," Casizzi said. "That could be New York, Paris, Rome, London, and Johannesburg is no different." @Email:emegson@thenational.ae