Locked down but not loaded as gun permit chaos reigns

Millions in financial losses, imminent unemployment of trained private security officers and a possible closure of some companies. These are the grim prospects facing South Africa’s private security industry – a ripple effect arising from government printing works’ halting of operations due to the lockdown in response to the coronavirus.

According to The Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa (Tapsosa) president Jones Maphalaphathwa, the closure of the government printer has affected the printing of firearm licences – adversely impacting on private security companies and over two million licensed firearm holders, whose renewed licences could not be printed.

This, said Maphalaphathwa, has also led to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) Eskom and the Passenger Rail Transport of South Africa (Prasa) “threatening to end contracts with private security companies, some of which have been unpaid for services rendered since last December”.

Maphalaphathwa said Tapsosa, which has made unsuccessful appeals to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula for intervention, planned to take legal action to force the SOEs to honour their obligations.

“While we are in full support of the government-imposed lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, our members who render what is recognised as an essential service to the country, have gone for months without being paid,” said Maphalaphathwa.

“So far, five companies – four in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape – are facing financial ruin due to government printing works having closed their offices during lockdown.

“After months of non-payment, one of the companies, which was earlier being threatened by Eskom with a termination of contract, was only rescued by last week’s court ruling forcing the power utility to make an undertaking to pay. At Prasa, companies have gone for four months without being paid.”

Tapsosa, said Maphalaphathwa, was “quite concerned about these developments”, calling on government to intervene.

“Among our members, we have small companies who have no extra resources to pay employees if not paid by clients like SOEs. We render an essential service to the government by securing buildings and installations, which are key to the economy of this country,” he said. “If the lockdown is extended, the coming months are going to be very difficult and some Tapsosa member companies could face closure.”

Professor Sabelo Ndlovu of Unisa’s School of Leadership and Transformation said the closure of government printing works during lockdown illustrated “how, what is deemed not essential, can have an impact on what is essential”.

“When government came up with these regulations, there was no time to think them through.

“It was a knee-jerk reaction with no sector given an opportunity to make a case for itself in being deemed an essential service,” he said. “Government now needs to make a thorough assessment and think strategically on which sectors to close and which ones to leave open.”

While Prasa spokesperson Nana Zenani was unavailable for comment, Eskom’s Sikonathi Mantshantsha denied as “untrue” claims that the power utility was unable to honour its obligations to contracted security companies.

“All Eskom contractors are currently able to continue providing services and we have managed to secure government-approved permits for them to provide essential services.

“All our security personnel are in place and at work as they should be and we have always honoured our obligations in the form of payments without fail,” said Mantshantsha.

The government printing works was not available for comment.

Commenting on the impact the halting of government printing works operations has had on private security companies, Gun Owners Association Of South Africa chair Paul Oxley, said: “This is unfortunately typical of the shoddy work done in putting together lockdown regulations.

“This has been as haphazard as asking the police minister to oversee alcohol and cigarette consumption during lockdown.

“This one has also fallen through the cracks.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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