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A Guguletu security company owner has pipped the competition to win the contracts for both general guarding and VIP security for the Confederations Cup, the curtain-raiser for the 2010 World Cup, which will kicks off this weekend.

However Siviwe "Chippa" Mpengesi, 35, owner of Chippa Security Services, declined the multimillion-rand VIP contract because he did not have the capacity to provide VIP protection at the mega event "at such short notice".

A tough three weeks lie ahead for Mpengesi, whose company will be responsible for guarding the stadiums, team hotels and training facilities for the event.

The opening match between South Africa and Iraq will be played at the Coca-Cola Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, with the tournament running until June 28.

Although he could not take on the VIP contract - he was only informed of the decision last Friday, May 29 - Mpengesi said his company was ready to dispatch 1 300 highly trained security guards to protect the stadiums, training venues and hotels.

Chippa Security Services learnt of the decision after the local organising committee's preferred bidder, Stallion Security, walked out of negotiations when the local organising committee apparently refused to pay it "proper" salaries.

"As far as I know, the VIP security has now been outsourced by the local organising committee," said Mpengesi. "All we are responsible for is guarding."

Mpengesi said although his company was one of the lesser-known security companies in the country, he viewed this as an opportunity to get himself on to the international map.

"People are saying we are an unknown Cape Town company but we are in fact national," he said. "We protect all the police stations in the country, all Metrorail facilities, and have been training security guards for seven years."

Soccer stars including Brazil's Kaka and Spain's Fernando Torres will arrive in SA this week to start training at venues in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Rustenberg.

Mpengesi said his security team had flown to Johannesburg last week to begin "intensive" training ahead of the event.

"We know that everyone will be watching us so we can't afford to mess up," he said. "The guys are at the venues as we speak, doing training and preparing for Sunday's opening match."

Mpengesi started Chippa Security Services in 2002 after being a security guard himself for several years.

He said that as an employee he had been exploited by security companies "for years", which had made him decide to launch his own enterprise.

"It took off and has grown from strength to strength - so much so that I'll be protecting some of the world's top soccer players from next week," he said. "But my dream is to supply VIP security for the 2010 World Cup - and I believe it's possible after getting this tender."

Mpengesi, who flew back to Johannesburg on Monday night after returning to Cape Town on Sunday, will spend the rest of the week in meetings with police and intelligence agencies to make sure the tournament is secure.

(Source: IOL.co.za)