‘Security officers on campuses not trained to deal with violent protests’
PSiRA participated in the Right2Know campaign’s open discussion on the use private security at universities.
CAPE TOWN - The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) says security officers on campuses have not been trained to deal with violent protests on campuses.
PSiRA participated in the Right2Know Campaign's open discussion on the use private security at universities.
PSiRA is the organising body of private security companies in South Africa.
PSiRA Management says private security officers should not be at the forefront of intervening in student protests on campus.
The Authority has questioned the legitimacy of their deployment.
PSiRA's Head of Law Enforcement Stefan Badenhorst says the role that private security officials are currently fulfilling on campuses has been reserved for the South African Police Service.
"We're officially concerned from the regulator's perspective, private security industry fulfils functions that's not necessarily historically described as security functions where they protect and safeguard property."
Badenhorst adds PSiRA currently regulates 9,300 private security businesses that collectively generate over R100 billion turnover per annum.
