Security personnel guarding the premises of the Department of Education and the Department of Roads and Safety were still at their posts the past week, even though they have not been paid for three months. They were afraid that, should they not arrive for work, they would lose more than what they have already lost.
The 432 security officers working for the Born to Protect company were very uncertain of what the future holds. "We need this job and we fear that, should we not report for work, he (the owner of the business) will hire other people and we will be left jobless," said one of the female officers who refused to be identified and preferred to be called officer.
"We don't have money for food, rent and transport. We are parents and have mouths to feed, bills to pay and our children have to go to school," she added.
According to security staff, the problems with Born to Protect Security started some three months ago. The company apparently experienced cash-flow problems and could no longer pay the workers. It was also said that contracts with government departments, among others with the Department of Health, had expired and payments to staff were halted.
When Limpopo Mirror contacted the site manager of the company, Mr Patrick Macheke, he said that he was aware that the company owed money to workers. He believed, however, that it was for two and not three months. "I am having financial problems, as some of the departments are still owing me money. I will, however, pay all 432 security officers from Wednesday the 25th (of May) and they will get their two months' salary," he promised.
The workers were clearly worried about the state of affairs and even tried to get the local police to intervene. "They (the police) merely promised that they will talk to him," one of the guards said. One of them also alleged that, when they went to the Department of Labour, they found out that not all the workers are registered at the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Macheke denied allegations that he had neglected to register the workers for UIF. "They are all registered and as I am speaking with you now, other officers came with their payslips and I gave them their blue cards," he said.
The provincial spokesperson of the Department of Labour, Ms Lerato Makomene, confirmed that the workers are registered. She warned, however, that this did not mean that they could claim from the fund. "In terms of the UIF regulations you can only claim when you are unemployed, and in this case the complainants are still employed," she said.
Head of the Born to Protect security company, Mr Samson Mapalakanye, declined to comment on the matter and referred all questions to Mr Patrick Macheke.
In February this year, Born to Protect Security was awarded a tender of R2,1 million to provide security services at the Gauteng Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs. The company was also awarded a tender worth R1,9 million to "design, develop and accredit a qualification for councillors with oversight function" for the Gauteng Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs.
Born to Protect Security was established by the late Phillip Mapalakanye in 2002. On the company's website it boasts of employing over 5 000 permanent security officers registered with PSIRA, while 190 security officers are employed on a temporary basis.