First food, then private security

20 July 2015 - 02:02 By Nivashni Nair

Paying for protection against crime comes in a close second to putting food on the table. Institute for Security Studies policing researcher Johan Burger said: "Security is the second basic need after food. Those that can afford it, even if it is difficult in the current financial times, will still hang onto private security. It's not much use if you have everything else but you don't feel safe."He said that this need was driven by high levels of violent crime and home robberies, and the public's lack of confidence in the police.But the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill, once signed into law, would force foreign-owned companies to give up 51% ownership to South Africans, and would also affect importers and exporters of security equipment and locksmiths.There are 445000 registered active private security guards in South Africa compared to 270000 people working in public security services, including police officers and members of the armed forces.The president of the Security Association of SA, Clinton Phipps, said some households fork out as much as R20000 a month to have their own security guards but the average cost for security is between R350 and R500 a month.Said Phipps: "Even in these tough economic times we are still seeing an increase in people signing up with private security companies. This is because people place a lot of value on security."Blue Security sales director Paul Romeril said security was not seen as a luxury but as a necessity, therefore households would often give up entertainment expenses, such as satellite television, to pay for security.Economist Dawie Roodt said South Africans should not have to spend R60-billion a year on security when they have paid taxes to the state to provide that service.DA spokesman on policing Dianne Kohler Barnard said: "If the police worked as they should, there would be no need for taxpayers to pay twice for security - R72-billion for the police and R60-billion for private security."The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry said last year that the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill would "exponentially" increase the cost of security services.Said Kohler Barnard: "If [foreign-owned] private security firms leave this country, and they will if this bill is passed in its current form, thousands of security industry workers are certain to lose their jobs and there will be more demand on already over-stretched police."..

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