19 Dec 2019

Parliament has deferred a motion by Maun East legislator Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile requesting government to declare the failure by private security companies to timeously pay security guards a national crisis.

 Presenting the motion in Parliament on December 17, Mr Kekgonegile said the disputes between security companies and their employees at the labour courts were a common occurrence thus requested government to prevail over the Controller of Security Services to ensure immediate payment of outstanding wages of security guards.

Mr Kekgonegile said even though the motion’s content had been brought three times before the 11th Parliament, it  only fitting that the motion be discussed on a more deeper and broader level.

He said it was important for the Controller of Security Services to be empowered with the regulatory powers that only not issue out security operational licenses but also monitored and regulated their employer/employee relations.

“Parliament should empower the Controller of Security Services with the authority to suspend from operation none compliance of security companies if they bridge the industrial relations contract,” he said.

He said there were currently 54 cases involving 34 companies before the Gaborone Industrial Court involving late payments of security guards while 31 pending cases involved 12 companies before Francistown courts.

Debating the motion Selebi Phikwe West legislator, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, who  supported the motion ,said it should also include improvement of security guards working conditions.

 He said it was disturbing that a lot of security guards were not provided with offices or shelters at their work stations while others were not paid their severance benefits and gratuities adding that a lot of security personals were not provided with uniforms or protective clothing.

He said security companies violated employment laws with impunity as laws were crafted in such a way that they turn to favour employers than employees.

Responding to the motion, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said the office of the controller had no power to prevail over employer/ employee relations as they were matters to be dealt with by the industrial courts.

He, therefore, pleaded with the mover of the motion to defer it for a later date and familiarise himself with the relevant regulatory act. BOPA