05 Mar 2020

Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security has signed a Statutory Instrument Act to allow for gazzetting of regulations with effect from March 9.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Mmusi Kgafela, said this in Parliament on March 4 in response to a question from Maun East legislator, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile.

Mr Kgafela said the implication of the act was that the Private Security Services Licensing Board would be responsible for implementation.

“The board will also be fully mandated to ensure the carrying out of the inspections to ensure compliance with the provisions of the act that promote workers’ rights and welfare among other things,” he said.

Minister Kgafela further stated that the ministry was aware of the limitations the controller of security guard services had in the implementation of the Private Security Services Act as far as the protection of workers’ rights were concerned and that the act would include specific provisions that spoke to promoting the protection and enforcement of workers’ rights.

He added that the matter of security workers at Letsholathebe Hospital and other Maun Administrative Authority health facilities who had not been fully paid, had been referred to the Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development.

MP Kekgonegile had asked the minister of Defence, Justice and Security to state if he was aware of the limitations in the implementation of the Private Security Services Act by the controller of security guards in terms of workers protection.

He also wanted clarity on enhancement capacity initiatives for a particular office.

Mr Kekgonegile wanted the minister to further state mitigating initiatives the ministry had put in place to ensure that the security company paid its workers at Letsholathebe Hospital and other

Maun Administrative Authority health facilities who had not been paid since June 2019. ENDS