Satisfied with security for sevens at stadium

IN response to Peter Jacobson’s letter, “Security at sevens tournament poor” (December 17), Access Facilities and Leisure Management would like to reiterate that we always take public feedback seriously and we appreciate the concerns raised. The safety, security and well-being of supporters, the public and of sportsmen during events are a central priority for the stadium.

Aside from the incident mentioned in Jacobson’s letter, we can report that the Cell C Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens tournament was incident-free. The event organiser, the South African Rugby Union (Saru), indicated it was satisfied with security and operational support offered by the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

In the case of the person breaching the security, fencing and moat and gaining access to the field during a game at the weekend, it is standard security protocol not to pursue a field invader on the field of play as this results in further disruptions to the game. Security followed this protocol.

All exits were guarded to prevent the field invader from escaping back into the crowd and officials removed the perpetrator from the field and took him into custody. When incidents occur, we rely on our accredited security firm which employs trained security professionals to manage challenges as and when they arise.

Our in-house security team is also on site, and in direct liaison with the police, traffic department and municipality – a legacy of the training and joint operations protocols initiated for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We have to deal with incidents on a case-bycase basis – using the protocols and procedures in place to minimise risks as far as possible.

We reiterate the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a safe and secure venue for both sporting and other events. Saru’s security company, Thorburn Security, confirmed it was in agreement with the protocol followed by the stadium’s security company, Nationwide Security, and was happy with the outcome.

The sevens tournament saw the biggest turnout yet with a total of 63 041 people passing through the gates, an 8% increase on last year. The minimal incidence of security challenges is in fact a major achievement, not an indication of poor security.

We endeavour to ensure that all our events are world-class and that the security on offer is of a consistently high standard. Our track record of a low number of incidents is commendable and a testament to the delivery of good safety and security services.

This is not, however, to say that incidents don’t happen – it is our readiness to manage them when they arise that determines the calibre of service. We take collective duty to minimise risk and manage the problems quickly and efficiently.

This is, we believe, a mark of excellent planning, liaison and teamwork for a stadium operator.