Dawid-Kruiper municipality must face the full wrath of the law after the ongoing threat of a hefty fine has failed to compel the municipality to comply with the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSIRA).
After the DA’s exposé on the municipal “security-gate” scandal in March this year, Dawid Kruiper continues to employ staff, who are not registered with the authority, as security guards. This is despite PSIRA previously instructing the municipality to either redeploy the unregistered security guards or to terminate their services
It further came to light in a committee meeting last week that some of the municipality’s so-called security guards have “dirty fingers”, implying that criminal records are what stand in the way of them registering as security guards.
The DA has on numerous occasions called on the Municipal Manager to respond to questions, to no avail. The municipality has also chosen to keep certain information relating to the non-compliance to PSIRA, out of the public domain, calling for in-committee meetings.
Dawid Kruiper municipality is not a law unto itself and the DA views this developing scandal in a very serious light.
In addition to obvious security threats to Dawid Kruiper’s assets, the looming fine, as well as the ongoing payment of salaries to security guards who are not suitable for the job, is nothing less than fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
It is also a criminal offence to render a security service for reward, remuneration, a fee or benefit unless you are registered in terms of the Act. In terms of section 38(3)(g) of the Act, consumers are also guilty of a criminal offence and can be prosecuted for intentionally or negligently using the services of security businesses that are non-compliant with the Act. This means that the individual security officers, in addition to Dawid Kruiper, may face criminal charges in addition to a fine.
The DA will ask the Office of the Auditor General to investigate the fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred as a result of the payment of salaries to unregistered security officers and the fine, should it be enforced. We will also request that the matter is taken up with the police portfolio in parliament, to whom PSIRA reports. If the threat of a fine does not spur Dawid Kruiper on to address its gross security irregularities, then harsher actions must be urgently contemplated.