By : Rodney J Smith
With the recent attack on the Togo national football team who were on their way to a match in the Africa Nations Cup in Angola still fresh in the memory, you may be forgiven for wondering if it's safe to attend the football World Cup in South Africa with takes place in June and July 2010. Whilst one can never completely rule out the possibility of something like this happening, even in the most security-conscious of nations, I believe the risk is very low.
SA is not Angola
Firstly it is important to note that these are two distinct nations in the southern African region (South Africa is not synonymous with southern Africa). Angola is a poor country struggling to recover from a long civil war; South Africa, the economic powerhouse of the region, is a stable democracy whose infrastructure is vastly superior to Angola's.
Tournament profile
Without being disparaging of the Africa Nations Cup, it does not come close to the FIFA World Cup in terms of scale and prestige. South Africa has spent millions of dollars on infrastructure in the last few years to prepare for the event, which is expected to generate around three billion dollars in revenue for the country. So the country has a lot riding on providing a positive experience for all concerned and the powers that be realise that the eyes of virtually the entire world will be on them, and will be keen not to disappoint.
Tournament security will thus understandably be tight to ensure the safety and enjoyment of locals, visiting fans and players alike. Teams will no doubt have their own security details, and thousands of police officers will be diverted to provide security for matches.
Track record
Even though this is the biggest event South Africa will have staged, they have a long track record of successfully hosting major sporting events, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the All African Games of 1999 and the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. There is no reason to believe the 2010 World Cup will be an exception.
So let's enjoy the football and leave the worrying to the tournament organisers!
While you're in South Africa, why not go on a Robben Island tour to see where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.
Read more at http://www.south-african-holidays.com.