Not only can fans traveling to South Africa to see the World Cup this year purchase stab-resistant vests, they can also have them imprinted with a personalized message, or their country's flag.
The vests, or
PROTEKTORVEST, as they are called, are made by a British company, and are aimed at protecting foreign tourists from violent crime during the June World Cup soccer tournament in a country with the highest crime rate in the world. There are approximately 50 murders a day in S. Africa, which has a population of 50 million; this is less than the official U.S. total, whose population is six times that of S. Africa. Also, there were over 36,000 rapes in 2007-2008, with likely many more unreported.
Needless to say, World Cup organizers and the South African government are not amused. They have their own security measures in mind to protect the estimated 450,000 foreign fans visiting S. Africa for the tournament. In addition to helicopters, surveillance equipment, and body armour of their own, over 40,000 police will be dispatched throughout the city during the tournament.
However, South African sports fans commenting on various websites think the vest are necessary and are a good idea. One said,
Whether we like it or not, our crime statistics speak for themselves. Maybe we should have spent less money on stadiums and more money on recruitment, training and remuneration of our police force.
The World Cup is the world's most watched sporting event.
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