According to Pamela Radebe, Gibela’s communications director, operations were partially resumed on Friday and fully resumed on Monday.
“Security reinforcements deployed at site will be maintained for a full week and security will be monitored on an ongoing basis,” she says.
Events leading up to this disruption on site began in December during the builder’s holiday, when the security company illegally set up occupancy on the perimeter of the manufacturing site.
The security company employees blocked off the road leading to the entrance of the site and demanded to be employed as security for the construction site.
Security services are currently provided by a Benoni-based level two B-BBEE company, which is also 10% black-women-owned.
Radebe says Gibela and its advisers had previously met with the security company to receive their demands regarding security management.
However, after a number of engagements to outline Gibela’s procurement processes for potential service providers, the security company indicated it would proceed with deploying its security guards on site.
Read: Security company blocks access to Gibela’s Dunnottar site
“Gibela reiterated that there is no contract nor a need for additional security services and both parties agreed to find further solutions,” says Radebe.
However, on December 15, the security company deployed guards within Gibela’s property and erected a shelter for them.”The safety and security of our employees and contractors on site are our number one priority and we took the necessary legal steps to ensure the security company is not longer able to trespass on our property,” she says.
On Friday, the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng local division, granted Gibela an interdict against the security company.
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Radebe says the interdict states the company is not to come within 100m of the perimeter of the construction site, interfere with its operational activities, prevent access to the site, or assault and intimidate or threaten any of Gibela and its contractors’ and sub-contractors’ employees.
“Despite the week’s disruption, we are confident that we will be able to catch up on the construction schedule and offset any
negative impact caused by this week’s unfortunate events.
“The company remains committed to fostering mutually beneficial working relations with the community and the local business sector and will continue engagements towards this goal,” says Marc Granger, Gibela’s chief executive officer.
