Five stadiums now under police control

Stewards' protests leads to police action...
16 Jun 2010 13:20:00

Soccer City in Johannesburg, the showpiece stadium for the World Cup in South Africa, has joined four other South African venues to be taken under police control.

Following worker strikes for the private security firm Stallion Security Consortium, a local organising committee have confirmed that the firm have pulled out of World Cup venues in Durban, Cape Town and Ellis Park in Johannesburg already, with Soccer City being the final venue they had control over.

Control of Port Elizabeth's venue had already been taken by police prior to the start of the tournament, which means that half the stadiums in use during the summer tournament will be marshalled by the local force.

Fidelity Security are the private firm in charge of the other five stadiums in Rustenburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Bloemfontein, and the South African Police service confirmed they are ''on standy'' if they are needed to step in at any of the other venues.

A blanket strike might be on the cards however as a spokesman for the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) demanded FIFA and the local organising committee intervene ''in the national interest'.'

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2890/world-cup-2010/2010/06/16/1979242/world-cup-2010-five-stadiums-now-under-police-control