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limpopo in safety drive

23 JUNE 2009 TUESDAY: VISION: MEC of the Department of Safety, Security and Liaison in Limpopo Dikeledi Magadzi during the media briefing about youth and crime porevetion held at Polokwane in Limpopo on Tuesday (yesterday). PHOTO: ELIJAR MUSHIANA
23 JUNE 2009 TUESDAY: VISION: MEC of the Department of Safety, Security and Liaison in Limpopo Dikeledi Magadzi during the media briefing about youth and crime porevetion held at Polokwane in Limpopo on Tuesday (yesterday). PHOTO: ELIJAR MUSHIANA

All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

THE Limpopo provincial government has joined forces with three neighbouring countries to deliver on their promise of hosting a safe 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The three neighbouring countries are Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana, said Dikeledi Magadzi, the Limpopo safety and security MEC.

World-class players who will be seen in action in Limpopo during the World Cup include Thierry Henry (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Karim Ziani (Algeria).

Magadzi said the three countries have their own structures in which senior police leaders have been meeting on a regular basis to manage security measures.

"They used to meet twice a year, but a decision has been taken to meet on a regular basis to discuss matters relating to the World Cup.

"People must not worry about what happened in Angola last Friday where the Togolese team was attacked, South Africa is a safe country.

"The English cricket national team have been in the country for almost two months now, there has not been a single challenge relating to their security.

"The support we are getting from our neighbouring countries has been great, it is also in line with our pledge that 2010 will be an African World Cup.

"We have nine ports of entry in Limpopo, everybody who enters our province will be safe.

"We work with other law-enforcement agencies like the traffic officers and soldiers.

"The Department of Home Affairs is also on board, manning all the ports of entry to ensure the smooth entry of people into our beautiful province.

"Visitors coming to Limpopo for the World Cup will act as our ambassadors, we want them to speak well of our province when they get back to their respective countries.

"We will soon have new police recruits graduating and there will be more than enough well-trained officers during the World Cup.

"We did not host the 2009 Confederations Cup but had some of our people in North West, Gauteng and Free State working there on a learning curve."

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