COSATU will present the experiences of its members in the security industry and SAPS as well as proposed interventions to deal with the recent wave of cash in transit heists to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police at 9am, today in Parliament.

The federation through its affiliates, SATAWU and POPCRU, represents the overwhelming majority of security workers and SAPS members.  They are at the forefront of the war against crime and in particular cash in transit (CIT) heists.  Many of them have laid down their lives protecting ordinary South Africans. Unfortunately, government has been too soft on this scourge and the security industry has been found criminally negligent.

CIT heists have doubled from 152 in 2017 to 158 in the first half of 2018.  ATM bombings have increased by 3000% and CIT vehicle bomb attacks by 30%.  This is not the work of petty criminals but it is the work of highly sophisticated, well resourced syndicates with inside information from within the security companies, banks and SAPS.  Increasing numbers of security workers and SAPS members are being slaughtered by this wave.

Whilst these syndicates have highly trained military veterans, use AK 47s, drive fast cars and have accurate intelligence, our security guards are under paid, over worked, poorly trained, armed with pistols, ride in poorly armoured vehicles lacking even working air conditioning systems.  The explosion of CIT heists is not surprising because the criminals are taking advantage of a poorly resourced system that is vulnerable.

COSATU welcomes Parliament’s intervention and we fee its long overdue.  We hope that this will spur government and industry into action. COSATU would like to see the following:

• Ensure security officials are permanently employed and are paid a decent living wage with pensions, insurance and medical cover.
• Security workers need proper training and appropriate and working weaponry.
• They need heavily armoured working vehicles.
• SAPS must be brought on board to escort them.
• SAPS Crime Intelligence and the State Security Agency need to work closely with industry, banks and unions to root out the corrupt elements.
• Our intelligence capacity needs to be revived.
• Our criminal justice system and leadership needs to be overhauled.

COSATU is pleased with the President’s initial steps to remove the rot from the leadership of SAPS and the SSA. However much more needs to be done because workers cannot keep dying whilst government departments and industry leaders are sleeping on the job.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks  (Cosatu Parliamentary Officer )
Cell: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za