AfriForum has again been hogging headlines after they took a tongue-in-cheek approach to protest the proposed amendments to regulations that would practically disarm the private security sector.
The civil rights organisation handed over a set of water pistols to the bodyguards of police minister Senzo Mchunu, symbolising their opposition to the proposed regulations.
Mchunu signed the proposed private security amendments late last month while members of the public still had an opportunity to comment on the matter.
The proposed amendments to the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSIRA) have sparked criticism from various quarters of the security sector.
According to AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for Community Safety, Jacques Broodryk, the donation was a protest against the minister’s efforts to disarm private security officers.
“It is absurd that the government has to rely on private security to guard buildings – and, in certain cases, even police stations – while, at the same time, pushing for the implementation of regulations that will render that same industry powerless,” Broodryk said.
AfriForum argues that the proposed changes will paralyse the industry, jeopardise thousands of jobs, and leave millions of the country’s residents without reliable protection.
Broodryk highlighted several concerning aspects of the proposed regulations, including disarmament on suspicion, a ban on firearms in public spaces, unclear ammunition restrictions, unrealistic firearm tracking, and a ban on less-lethal devices.
“In a country overwhelmed by violent crime, where the SAPS is overstretched and severely under-resourced, private security plays a critical role in protecting communities. To disarm this sector under the guise of regulation is not only irrational – it is dangerous,” Broodryk said.
AfriForum is calling on the public to support its campaign against implementing these regulations. The deadline for public submissions is April 25, 2025.
Broodryk encouraged people to add their names to the campaign, saying, “Protect our protectors by adding your name here.”
AfriForum argues that private security plays a vital role in protecting communities, especially in areas where the SAPS is understaffed and under-resourced. The organisation has submitted an application to the SAPS in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to determine how many police stations make use of private security services to guard their premises.
The organisation believes disarming private security officers will have severe consequences for the safety and security of communities.
According to media reports, there are several examples of cases where private security firms are contracted to perform even the most basic tasks, such as access control, due to a shortage of police officers and a lack of resources.
However, the head of PSIRA, Manabela Chauke, asserted that Mchunu’s proposals were not meant to destroy the security sector or cut jobs.
Speaking in a television interview, Chauke said that the proposals were intended to regulate and track private security companies’ possession and use of firearms and ammunition.
Chauke added that related proposals were first published in 2003, but were not acted on, and the country was now experiencing.
He said there were many weapons being stolen from the security sector or some within the sector opting to turn rogue with company service weapons.
“If you ask me to account for the movement of a firearm in the private security industry, I will not be able to tell you…why is that? Because we don’t have a mechanism to police that,” Chauke said.
Approached for comment, police spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said that she was still checking with the private office of the minister.
Mogotsi had not yet reached out to the publication by the time of going to press.
