Pretoria - In the wake of further strike threats by World Cup security guards, government has moved to allay any fears saying police stand ready to take charge of all security operations at stadiums.
This comes as security guards have threatened to down tools at various other stadiums following a strike by guards at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium on Monday and Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.
"Cabinet would like to assure fans that their safety is guaranteed. Police will be ready to take charge of security should any strike take place, like we saw in Cape Town," Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko said, following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
He emphasised that the matter was just a labour issue between an employer and an employee and would not jeopardize security arrangements for the tournament. "As we have seen in Cape Town police took charge of the security and will be ready to do so any time".
Maseko further said Cabinet had been "extremely" satisfied with the way world cup operations were progressing. "We think that fans have come out in their numbers and the match themselves have been outstanding," Maseko said.
Cabinet congratulated the national team for the performance displayed at the opening match last Friday. Maseko said Cabinet viewed the opening ceremony as a demonstration that South Africa was ready to stage any major event.
Government has called on the host cities to encourage fans to use as much public transport as possible to prevent congestion during matches.
