Security officers tell of brush with death
WHEN a panic alarm was activated by a Phoenix resident who saw a gang of robbers in the home across the street, security officers Sashin Govender and Zaheer Fareed raced to the scene.
But the KwaZulu-Natal VIP officers had no idea what lay in store for them as they neared the home of their client.
They were met with bullets flying from the opposite side of the road, finding themselves almost in an ambush situation.
“Bullets flew towards us and while we tried to reverse, the vehicle went into an embankment,” said Fareed, 24.
In the frenzy, they did not realise they had been shot and were bleeding.
“The bullet went through the windscreen and grazed my eye and my shoulder and I was shot in the leg. Sashin was shot on the right leg and a bullet grazed his arm and left hand,” said Fareed.
Govender, 34, said they were not forewarned about the source of the danger last Wednesday.
“We were not told to be careful and watch the opposite direction so when we drove onto the road it was as though it was an ambush.”
As the pair tried to get out of their crashed vehicle, the home invaders left the scene.
“We called for backup and within three minutes we had people with us.”
Added Govender: “We had been involved in shoot-outs before but those times we were prepared, this time we weren’t; we were still in the car driving to where we believed the criminal activity was taking place. I think people need to be more clear when they call out for help so we know how we can go in and assist properly.”
As Govender and Fareed recover from their brush with death, their families are now more worried about their safety.
Holding back tears, Fareed’s wife of four months, Ziasha, said she feared she was going to be a widow.
“My father-in-law (who is also a KZN VIP security officer) received a call on the radio. I heard someone saying ‘shot shot’ but I didn’t realise it could be my husband. When dad left to respond, he didn’t say anything to me until I got a call from an aunt saying he had been shot. I was scared. I had no idea where he had been shot, what state he was in. At that moment I thought I was going to be a widow.”
Govender, a former police officer, said his family was also concerned about his safety.
“My father and brothers especially had been traumatised and voiced their concerns to me, but I have been in this for 14 years. I train for these situations and most times we win and sometimes we get caught in the crossfire,” he said. “I enjoy what I do and I will never stop.”
KZN VIP boss Glen Naidoo said as first respondents on crime scenes, the job is inherently dangerous.
“Everyone in the security industry will share the same sentiments that the job is dangerous and we constantly have to watch our back. We prepare our guys by providing them with the necessary training and equipment like bulletproof vests but there is always a risk.
“This incident has prompted us to purchase armoured vehicles for these kinds of call-outs,” he said.
“We are glad our guys are well and resting and we are providing them whatever care we can. In the 13 years of working as security, our officers have only been caught in the crossfire about five times.”
Naidoo said his company receives about 6 000 calls a month and responds to 200 call-outs a day.