17 Nov 2025

The total number of employees currently employed by security and cleaning companies that are engaged by government ministries and district councils, is 7,000 and 933, respectively.

This was said Thursday by the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General Pius Mokgware when responding to a question from Nkange MP, Mr Motlhaleemang Moalosi.

Currently, Maj. Gen. Mokgware said the minimum wage for both security guards and cleaners was P9.06 per hour, as per the Statutory Instrument on minimum wage No. 7 of 2024. This translates to P2,120.04 per month as normal pay.

The average salary for a cleaner and security guard, he said was P3,108, which included overtime worked in a month, adding that the employees worked eight hours normal and four hours overtime.

“We have noted that some of the companies charge government, on average, per security guard, P4,700. It is clear that the companies are benefiting more than the individuals, resulting in payment of low wages,” he said.

To address this, the minister said the government, through the ministry, was currently working toward reviewing the Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024 on minimum wage to increase it to P4,000. Furthermore, Maj. Gen. Mokgware explained that the length of the employment for security guards and cleaners was normally tied to the length of the contract entered into by the company.

“The average length of employment contract for the said employees is two years. It has however, come to our attention that some companies, though given two year’s contracts, they engage employees on shorter periods,” he added.

He said the ministry undertook inspections and did institute actions on such companies to ensure that security guards and cleaners were employed according to the length of contract.

To further address the in-justice and unfairness to the workers, especially cleaners and security guards, the minister said the government had also taken a decision to insource these services, stressing that no one would be paid less than P4,000 per month.

Mr Moalosi had asked Maj. Gen. Mokgware to state the total number of employees currently employed by security and cleaning companies engaged by government across all ministries and district councils, average salary for a cleaner and a security guard in those companies and average length of employment contract for the said employees. ENDS