24 Feb 2015

Defence, justice and security minister, Mr Shaw Kgathi has urged private security companies to up their game and provide quality, effective and efficient service to the nation.

He said an effective and efficient private security company should have permanent offices where they operate their businesses, adding that it was worrisome to find briefcase companies who do not comply with the laws and policies regulating the private security industry.

Mr Kgathi was speaking at the 3^rd private security companies Pitso held in Gaborone yesterday for security companies in the southern part of the country.

He said he was aware of challenges facing the industry such as lack of standards and codes of conduct that should regulate the provision of security services in the country.

Mr Kgathi said the Security Association of Botswana (SAB) and its affiliates should invest in the training of their guards and creating a database of all security employees for easy management and control whilst awaiting the formulation of legislation by his ministry.

The legislation, he noted, would make provision for setting of standards and code of conduct for security companies.

Turning to issues of mutual concern, Minister Kgathi said the private security industry was established primarily to protect people and property and assist law enforcement agencies in the prevention of crime.

He said it was surprising that crime was increasing in areas where private security companies had been deployed.

He noted that from 2012 to date, the police have dealt with 345 cases involving employees of private security companies.

He said the cases included six rape cases, 37 theft common cases, 12 malicious damage to property cases, including suspected cases of armed robbery and six for unlawful possession of government trophy.

He said there was never a satisfactory explanation on where the guards were when some of the crimes were taking place. 

He added that this had resulted in the police chasing reports with no leads.

The minister said what worries most was that some guards were deployed as trolley recovery staff in shopping malls while others take stock in shops instead of guarding premises.  

“This does not relate to what the guards are employed for or what their security companies are contracted for,” he said.

Mr Kgathi said it was time shopping complex owners were required to put up CCTVs and other security equipment and systems to enhance the security of their business premises.

The minister said his ministry had been receiving significant number of complaints from employees of private security companies for non-payment of wages and terminal benefits by their employers.

He said he was worried that when they enquired from the clients who have engaged such companies, they always find that the companies had been paid, but the owners had not paid their employees and instead had gone on expensive holidays or purchased expensive vehicles. ENDS