16 Sep 2018

Private security services board chairperson, Mr Thebeyame Tsimako, has warned security companies and guards that failure to comply with Private Securities Act may lead to withdrawal of their licenses.

Briefing Central District councillors on amendments made on the Private Security Services Act recently, Mr Tsimako warned that lack of adherence to the Act may lead the board to revoke such licenses after satisfying itself with findings.

Mr Tsimako said his board was hard at work devising regulations, establishing a code of conduct and also working with Botswana Qualifications Authority pertaining to training programme for security guards.

Mr Tsimako, who is a former commissioner of Botswana Police Services, said the board had realised a litany of challenges when going about conducting their business.

He said they met with security companies owners as well as security guards in their consultations and found startling revelations.

Amongst their discoveries, the board found that some security companies disregarded the Employment Act with impunity.

Some companies were not paying their employees while others paid employees late, and some were denied severance fees as well as overtime allowances.

The former police chief said in many instances, employees were not provided with protective clothing and or uniform, no toilet services at their service stations as well as no guard houses in case of extreme weather conditions.

Unlike in the upcoming new order, security guards have not been vetted for suitability despite conducting sensitive tasks.

Mr Tsimako likened the move to, “Go disa dipudi ka phokoje,” arguing that some of the employees could be having adverse criminal records.

Local authorities that employ the services of security companies were not spared either.

The board chairperson found that the authorities did not have enough budgets for security services which in turn affected payments of security guards by their employers. 

He faulted local authorities for not carrying out a thorough hiring process for security companies, arguing that the former’s interest is in the lowest bidder. 

On clarifying the use of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services in vetting companies, Mr Tsimako said the duty to vet companies was a preserve for the police commissioner who could seek expertise of the intelligence officers if his charges were not versed with certain matters. ENDS