Not many mouths in the private security sector are as blunt and honest as Tony Botes, Administrator at Security Association of South Africa (SASA).

Speaking at the recent Stallion Integrated Technology Day in Johannesburg, he focussed on the human and legislative pressures shaping the arena in which companies like Stallion operate.

Botes began by reminding the listeners of the industry’s scale: 17 389 registered companies and 632 000 active security officers, one of South Africa’s largest employers (the South African Police Service has just 190 000 active members). The size of the private security industry has doubled in the last six years, but behind the numbers is a worrying picture.

“We are still one of the largest employers in the country,” responded Botes, “but we are also burdened with non-compliance, exploitation, and ineffective enforcement. There are too many short-cut employers, and it is the officers – the men and women on the streets – who get hit with it.”

He cited the growing abuse of so-called “disguised employment relationships”. Some businesses, he added, are classifying officers as ‘independent contractors’ or ‘learners’ in a bid to escape labour obligations like UIF, provident fund, and minimum wage statutes.

“Greed is the root of much of these abuses,” he cautioned.

“But the tide is turning. The National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPSS) has already collected fines in excess of R1 million against the culprits. To those who are still engaging in such practices: Big Brother will catch up with you soon enough.”

Botes also aimed his anger at the regulatory environment. Draft amendments to the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSIRA) propose restricting the use of firearms and, in fact, barring even non-lethal items like batons.

“If passed, these bills will essentially emasculate private security at a time when South African Police Services (SAPS) can’t keep pace with a growing crime tide,” he argued.

“We cannot allow overreach by regulation to undermine national safety.”

He cited dire crime statistics: violent crime increased more than 11% from the previous year, and police-to-population ratios continue to decrease.

“We are the backbone of security in this nation,” Botes stated.

“Our industry is an essential contributor to crime prevention, and yet we are being treated as though we’re part of the problem. This must change.”

For Botes, the solution is partnership: among industry and government, among providers and regulators, among officers and employers. Without it, he warned, “we will continue to drift into a two-tiered system where only the wealthy can afford proper protection.”