Police and reservists to ‘guard gates’

Reservists and ordinary policemen and women – instead of contracted security staff – are guarding all SAPS properties, including police stations.

A decision was taken earlier this year not to renew contracts with private security companies beyond June 30.

The opposition has slammed the change as a waste of resources, saying Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is bowing to Cosatu pressure not to contract out government work.

In a statement last month, spokeswoman Major-General Nonkululeko Mbatha said the police service would take on security duties and responsibility for all SAPS properties.

The contracts of private security companies expired at the end of the financial year on March 31, but were extended for three months, Mbatha said.

“The guard duties of the SAPS premises will be the responsibility of the police. To achieve this, the SAPS is utilising the service of police trained specifically to perform guard duties,” she said.

The SAPS would also use police reservists.

DA spokeswoman on police Dianne Kohler Barnard said on Sunday that this was a “waste of precious SAPS resources”.

“We need our 65 000 reservists out on the streets keeping our people safe, not guarding the front doors of police stations,” she said.

This was a result of Mthethwa bowing to Cosatu’s “dictate” and refusing to allow contracts for security companies to be renewed.

“Provincial SAPS management are now looking to reservists, who offer to fight crime in their own time for no pay, to act as guards.”

In Gauteng, reservists had been asked to set up administrative systems so they could take over security duties from contracted guards.

“The use of reservists – many of whom have specialised skills – to perform gate-guarding duties will probably be the final straw for dedicated men and women, without whom some SAPS stations could simply not operate,” she said.

“There is no doubt that there has been a shift towards limiting the activities of and attempting to phase out the important service that reservists provide – while at the same time the minister calls regularly for citizens to assist the SAPS in their fight against crime.”

Kohler Barnard said there had been a moratorium on the recruitment of reservists since 2009, and potential reservists were being turned away despite their offer of free services to police stations.

Furthermore, the proposals in the 2012/13 SAPS performance plan included reducing the size of its staff by 9 000, an end to the hiring of new staff and an end to new admissions to training academies after January next year, she said.

“It seems that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is focused on decreasing, rather than boosting, the numbers of police officers and reservists on our streets.”

Kohler Barnard said she would write to him for clarity on the issue and to explain why the private security contracts were cancelled.

“With one of the highest crime rates in the world, it is clear that we need as many police officers and reservists as possible fighting crime, rather than taking them off the streets to do the jobs of contract workers, who are now out on the streets,” she said.

“Minister Mthethwa owes the citizens of South Africa an explanation as to why he is increasing unemployment levels with one hand, and decreasing the security of our citizens with the other.”

Mbatha could not be reached for comment.

Political Bureau