Mega Event Securitisation in a Third World Setting

Abstract

During South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it was both the security successes and failures of the tournament, as well as the capacities of the state, that drew scrutiny. The country faced some significant challenges in its attempts to make the event ‘safe’. This article provides an overview of the major processes of securitisation in the 2010 finals, reviewing the role played by domestic and external actors, and the way in which the supranational and glocal character of mega event securitisation in the contemporary era shaped developments in the country. It offers an assessment of the physical, social and symbolic legacies of World Cup securitisation, both for the national state and urban environments.