The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) has assured South Africans that proposed amendments to the Private Security Industry Regulations, gazetted on March 28, will not result in job losses, or firearms being taken from private security.
IOL reported on Tuesday that National Assembly chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police and Democratic Alliance parliamentarian, Ian Cameron has raised concerns on the proposed stringent amendments.
Among the amendments is that a security business may only issue a firearm if such issuing does not include security officers doing duty in public spaces such as a taxi rank, cemetery, shopping mall, school, stadium or any public establishments.
Concerns have mounted, with role players in the private security sector expressing fears that the amendments will severely hamper their operations and will lead to job losses.
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday night, PSiRA chief executive officer, Manabela Chauke, said no security companies will close its doors due to the new regulations.
"First of all, let us correct the narrative that is out there by saying no one will lose their job in the private security industry. Secondly, there is no company that will be closing due to these regulations.
"Thirdly, stay away from the anxiety that is being created on society, to say people will lose their jobs because of these regulations. These regulations do not start now, they were first published in 2003, and nothing happened. Twenty-two years later, we sit with a worse situation than we had in between the years, in terms of the rogueness that has happened," he said.
"Remember we live in a constitutional country. Rule of law is the first thing. For any authority to act, there must be law first. If we are to regulate what we need to regulate now, we needed the law to do that. The only instrument that is there, is the Firearms Control Act."
He said the regulations contained in the Firearms Control Act are "so basic and general" and are not designed specifically for the private security industry.
"What we are trying to correct here is that gap, to deal with the rogues, to deal with those that are within the private security industry. We are trying to regulate possession, use and issuing. We do not licence firearms, that is the role of the SA Police Service. We do not issue or revoke licences, that is not our domain," said Chauke.
He said the new regulations will control the possession of specific firearms in light of the environment where the gun is used. Chauke said security companies would have to motivate and convince the authorities on incidents where, for example, rifles would be required to protect a creche.
IOL reported earlier that the new regulations specify that a security officer is only given a "reasonable" amount of ammunition to carry out the required security duty.
On the other hand, Cameron said lives of over 500,000 South Africans who work in the private security industry will be affected.
"It is concerning that the very organisation (PSIRA) that has quite recently received a qualified audit and continues to see material audit findings by the Auditor General of South Africa, would be allowed to conduct such overreach of power in such a critical industry.
"We believe that these rules will jeopardise the safety of the very communities they are meant to protect, as well as the livelihoods of over 500,000 South Africans who work in the private security industry," said Cameron.
IOL