SHUT DOWN IS COMING TO TSHWANE- SECURITY OFFICERS

MMC ‘s addressing angry security officers at Tshwane House photo by Dimakatso Modipa

Around 100 outsourced Tshwane Municipality security officers under the banner of SOCA, whose membership also includes cleaners, camped outside the Municipality’s headquarters Tshwane House during a Council meeting on Thursday to demand answers regarding them bring insourced into the City of Tshwane Municipality’s permanent workforce.

Angry and frustrated security officers at Tshwane House photo by Dimakatso Modipa

Spokesperson of the disgruntled security officers that have been outsourced to private companies (labour brokers) in Tshwane Hlengiwe Ngwenya said the following:

“We are really frustrated about what is happening because our issue of absorption into the City of Tshwane Municipality workforce is not even on the agenda of the Council meeting that is taking place today but we had been promised that private companies( labour brokers) that provide security and cleaning services to the Municipality would be done away with, yet there are reports suggesting that more the City will advertise for more private companies to be brought in as labour brokers, so we want to hear from ActionSA and EFF as yo when they are going to deliver on their promise to absorb us.”

Ngwenya said the EFF and ActionSA keep on talking about security officers who have already been absorbed a few years ago and that such talk is useless because focus should be on those who are still not absorbed into the City of Tshwane Municipality workforce.

“I am already 51 years old and if I am going to wait for another three years for absorption I will be 54 years old at that time and I will be told that I am overage and would therefore not be absorbed, no enough is enough!” fumed Ngwenya.

The resolution to absorb outsourced security officers and cleaners was taken at a Council meeting in 2016 and the actual absorption started in 2019 and only 1200 people were absorbed into the City of Tshwane workforce.

“Shut down is coming in Tshwane, believe me, enough is enough!” threatened Ngwenya.

MMC for Community Safety Hannes Coetzee, accompanied by MMC for human settlement Aron Maluleke and MMC for health Tshegofatso Mashabela and member of EFF Cllr Godwin Ratikwane Chairperson of the Section 79 Municipal Public Accounts Committee addressed the angry crowd of security officers outside Tshwane House.

The officers had waited for 5 hours outside Tshwane House; hungry and thirsty.

Councillor Hannes Coetzee admitted that even though the security officers are calling for insourcing, the City of Tshwane has advertised another tender whereby labour brokers will provide security personnel to the City of Tshwane.

“We would like to thank the security guards for their patience and we will play open cards with them because our policy is that of insourcing them,” he said.

MMC for Human Settlements Aaron Maluleka told the security officers that at the moment the City of Tshwane is in the process of giving the necessary benefits to the security guards who were absorbed some years ago and that the issue of those who are still outside the City of Tshwane Municipality workforce is still being discussed and will be finalised soon.

“We acknowledge the fact that it is not fair that security officers who are now permanently in the City of Tshwane Municipality workforce are earning more than those who are working for private companies yet they all do the same kind of work, we are therefore saying you will be absorbed soon,” said Maluleka.