TMPD chief expects 'backlash', 'sabotage' for cutting private security budget

Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) chief Yolande Faro has told the Madlanga Commission she expects backlash and possibly even sabotage from the private security industry for cutting the city’s watchmen services budget.

Watchmen services refer to the money the municipality spends on protecting its critical infrastructure.

The Madlanga Commission has heard how these tenders are awarded to politically connected people and have been abused, much to city’s financial detriment.

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Security tenders at the Tshwane Municipality have two components.

The first is a fixed deployment of private security guards.

The second, and most contentious one, is the ad-hoc security service.

This involves the municipality calling on security companies during emergencies.

Ad-hoc services do not have a fixed deployment, leading to companies invoicing the municipality millions of rands.

Faro said the ad-hoc services have been a major source of abuse, hence the city decided to cut the budget of the watchmen services.

“We are aware of that, that people can create a situation [of] sabotage. Let us call it sabotage. We have already put measures in place, especially with the reduction. We expect there is going to be a backlash, people are not going to say, ‘oh no it's fine’.”

Faro said the municipality wants to build its own in-house capacity of security guards to protect its infrastructure; however, she said this process can take about six years.