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Football - World Cup 1000 Crime in South Africa Done Slideshow: Photos Sport

Johannesburg (ANTARA News / AFP) - Nearly 1000 crime, particularly theft and robbery, took place in and around the stadium on game day the World Cup, South African police minister said Thursday.

A number of 290 incidents reported to police at the venue in 10 tournaments during the month, while another 704 were recorded as held within a radius of 1.5 kilometers outside the stadium, said Nathi Mthethwa.

Rampant crime rate in South Africa, where about 50 people murdered every day, become the main concerns ahead of the tournament and lead to accusations that the country does not match held the most popular sporting event in the world.

However, 44 000 additional police recruits for the tournament, especially for mempatroli around stadiums and parks, and help prevent the killing of their supporters.

The minister said that 1779 recorded crimes in and around the parks, where about 1.2 million people can watch the game via a giant television screen.

"We must agree that the number is encouraging and reflects the remarkable success of the security forces and people of South Africa," said Mthethwa.

Police also made 447 arrests. Of that total 266 residents of South Africa and 181 people arrested foreign nationals.