South Africa's authorities have condemned a London-based company which wants to sell stab-vests to visiting football fans during the World Cup.

The national police says the company was causing "unnecessary fear".

South Africa's football boss Kirsten Nematandani has assured visitors that all safety measures were in place.

South Africa has one of the world's highest rates of violent crimes but the authorities say they will tighten security for the tournament.

Protektorvest, which currently sells its merchandise online, says there is a "high demand" for protective clothing and claim the stab-vests which cost close to $70 (£43) are the "No 1 personal protection for the World Cup 2010".

Fans can add their national flag to the vest, or slogans such as "Free hugs" or "Ole".

Protektorvest owner Sascha Cutura denied that the company was saying South Africa was unsafe.

"We fulfil a need from security-conscious people," he told the BBC.

'Out of order'

Mr Nematandani chastised the company's owners and called for them to be "condemned by their own country's officials".

"These people are out of order… we've never heard of such measures being taken before and there surely is no need for it," he said, South Africa's Times newspaper reports.

According to their website, the company plans to open offices near South Africa's OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for the duration of the World Cup.

Mr Cutura said this is where the company hopes to sell most of its vests.

The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says security officers usually advise foreign travellers to guard against "standing out".

She says tourists wearing stab-vests at football matches or on sight-seeing trips may attract more attention to themselves - potentially increasing their chances of being attacked.

Mr Cutura pointed out that the vests could also be worn underneath clothes to avoid attracting too much attention.

Fan groups in England have also condemned the vests.

"No 1 personal protection for the World Cup 2010".

BluntmanDC wrote:
3. South Africa a country were you could legally attach flame throwers to your can or kll a man who stole you wallet, if i went to a country with such high viloent crime especially at a time when criminals will see it as like shooting fish in barrel i would want to be protected.

ricekake87 wrote:

BluntmanDC wrote:
3. South Africa a country were you could legally attach flame throwers to your can or kll a man who stole you wallet, if i went to a country with such high viloent crime especially at a time when criminals will see it as like shooting fish in barrel i would want to be protected.

Umm... my friend you seem to be either ignorant or stupid

Its quite silly that everyone thinks were this backward country when were not. A lot of foreigners are going to be disapointed when they get to 'Africa' and its not the wild place they thought it was.
Yes there are no lions or elephants in our backyards
The falme thing was never allowed, and there is actually a huge crackdown on crime which the po po are winning (for once). And just like any country in the world if you go to certain places you are looking for trouble.

I shall finish this rant by going off to my karate lesson, followed by sitting back and having a castle pint in the middle of the night while wearing shorts and a t-shirt as the temp only drops to about 23 C.

"No 1 personal protection for the World Cup 2010".

criminal activity, often violent, occurs routinely

garret wrote:Well arent soccer fans crazy?

ricekake87 wrote:
And just like any country in the world if you go to certain places you are looking for trouble.

Ahtman wrote:I think the 'stupid' comment was more aimed at saying Flame Throwers were legal or that you can gun a man down in the street legally.

warpcrafter wrote:

garret wrote:Well arent soccer fans crazy?

Yes, yes they are.

Garrett wrote:heard during one games of britain vs. germany the tipped over the germans cars in the lot

Albatross wrote:Am I the only one who wants a stab-vest with 'Free Hugs' printed on it?

Orky-Kowboy wrote:AND, last but not least, SA cops don't take s**t, believe me. If you thought the cops in your country were dumb and brutal, wait till you meet our boys. The tourists are going to be fine...

Orky-Kowboy wrote:wazzup

I'm South African and went to school right across the street from Loftus stadium where some of the World Cup games will be played and I can guarantee you that the crime threat in South Africa is seriously exxagerated. I've never been mugged in my life before, and I go to all kinds of places which are considered unsafe (worked in Hatfield and used to go to a church in the townships).

malfred wrote:

Albatross wrote:Am I the only one who wants a stab-vest with 'Free Hugs' printed on it?

I want one too.

And speaking of soccer hooligans:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8470241.stm

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gIZI8CfOrZ26hdclkpHB2mEVfbwQ

WC crime story triggers free speech debate in S.Africa

By Griffin Shea (AFP) – 8 hours ago

JOHANNESBURG — Two self-confessed criminals appear on screen, one with a stocking over his head, threatening to rob tourists and stage shootouts with police during South Africa's football World Cup.

The TV news report broadcast last week was meant to raise questions about security preparations for the tournament, the first on African soil, which is now less than five months away.

But instead it has become linked to a suicide and triggered a public debate about media freedom, as the government invoked an apartheid-era law to try to force the journalists to identify the two men.

In the segment broadcast last Friday on South Africa's private eNews satellite channel, a self-confessed car-jacker says he plans to target the 450,000 World Cup tourists expected in June.

"Most of the time these people are carrying valuable things and imports. For us, it's a very big opportunity to have what we don't have," says the man, his face obscured on camera, but shown loading a gun.

"But not to hurt them, so even next time they will come back and we'll rob them again," he says, identifying himself only as a 36-year-old father of three.

Another, who says he served 10 years for bank robbery, says he's ready to shoot police who try to stop him. "Not for a second will I hesitate, not for a second," he says.

South Africa has tried to stamp out concerns about crime during the World Cup, despite the nation's staggering incidence of violence, with an average 50 people killed every day.

Police minister Nathi Mthethwa quickly ordered an investigation to find the two men, accusing them of the crime of intimidation, punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

"These scoundrels make it clear that they intend to rob and shoot, and if needs be, murder any law enforcement official or member of the public who tries to stop them," he said in a statement.

"This conduct constitutes a threat to the safety and security of members of the public and visiting tourists," he said.

As part of the probe, authorities have invoked an apartheid-era media law to try to force eNews editor Ben Said and reporter Mpho Lakaje to identify the two men.

The network says their lawyers are considering how to reply to the subpoenas. The two could go to jail if they insist on protecting the sources.

But eNews says its only link to the self-confessed criminals was a man they said was a go-between with the criminals who was discovered dead on Tuesday in Soweto, with a suicide note saying Lakaje had "put me in mess".

"While the circumstances of the apparent suicide are not yet known, eNews has not revealed his identity to anyone," the station said.

The station hasn't announced whether Said and Lakaje will appear in court on Monday as ordered in the subpoena, but media groups have denounced government's decision to invoke the law known as Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Under white-minority rule, the measure was once used to force journalists to reveal information about nationalists living underground.

With South Africa's new constitution, media freedoms are guaranteed, but the courts have never been forced to rule if the law conforms to the bill of rights.

In addition to the eNews case, the law was also invoked against two newspapers last year, which the South African National Editors' Forum says points to an alarming trend.

"We see the tendency for the police to easily issue subpoenas and invoke Section 205. They seem to do it too easily, which worries us," said Thabo Leshilo, the group's chairman for media freedom.

But the ruling African National Congress has backed the probe into eNews, part of the e.tv group.

"If e.tv does not safeguard the interests of the innocent people from all over the world... they cannot be different from these criminals themselves," ANC national spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.

Albatross wrote:Mate, no-one is saying english (British, for that matter) fans are all sipping Pimms and watching Newsnight Review - but compared to the Italians? Or The Dutch?

England is probably the safest place in Europe to watch a match with the amount of security we have now.

Albatross wrote:

Garrett wrote:heard during one games of britain vs. germany the tipped over the germans cars in the lot

You think that's the worst thing footie fans have done to each other? When my team (the mighty Boro!) played in Rome, a guy was stabbed whilst stood hand-in-hand with his young son - Italian football fans are animals. You should watch 'The Football Factory'. Good film.