‘Rein in foreign-owned security firms’

THE ANC intends pressuring President Jacob Zuma to enact legislation on foreign-controlled security firms.

The party has also called on the government to immediately remove all private security companies it has contracted to guard national keypoints, fearing that national security was being compromised.

The move was emphasised at the party’s national executive committee lekgotla in Pretoria recently.

The discussion documents painted a picture of key security spots being handled by private security companies.

The Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill, which is awaiting Zuma’s signature, seeks to prevent foreigners from having a controlling stake in private security firms.

The lekgotla’s peace and stability commission report recommends that Zuma signs the bill into law, arguing that the ownership of private security firms by foreigners was a risk to national security.

“Private security industry ownership, and its massive employment of foreigners, pose a national security risk. The fact that the private security industry is in possession of excessive amount of capacity also poses a national security risk,” the ANC said.

The report raised concerns about the fact that some national keypoints were being guarded by foreign-owned private security firms.

Among other concerns raised regarding the industry were the firms’ other work on the continent.

“Certain South African private security companies doing business on the continent sometimes get involved in activities that compromise South Africa’s diplomatic work on the continent.”

If the organisation has its way, private security firms would be booted from securing national keypoints, and the three spheres of government would be discouraged from increasing levels of security contracts awarded to private security firms.

According to the report, the security work should be done by the state’s own security services, including the SAPS.