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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg can reveal that the Public Safety department spends over R 1 million per month to guard the Metro Centre through outsourced security services.

This is despite the fact that 4000 security personnel were employed by the City in the 2018/2019 financial year on a permanent basis, some of whom were assigned to guard the same building.

Worse still, the City has lost over R182 million due to break-ins for the past five years at guarded council facilities.

To milk the already financially drained City, Public Safety has extended private security companies contracts to an additional 145 facilities at the price tag of over R15 million per month.

The DA also learnt through submitting written council questions that some of the appointed security companies are linked to high-ranking politicians.

It is disheartening that the City continues to use private security companies; and, the City’s facilities continue to be vandalised. The cost of security has ballooned with no effective results, while cadres enjoy security tender funds.

The DA calls for investment into the professional development, adequate resources, and performance management for its insourced security personnel to create a more reliable, cost-effective, and accountable alternative instead of private security contracts.

This approach can increase transparency, improve service delivery, and help combat corruption by ensuring better oversight and ethical conduct.

Issued by Cllr Shakes Chabalala - DA Johannesburg Councillor