The organisation representing the private security industry has opened 50 criminal cases against non-compliant security companies in the Western Cape in the past year.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (Psira) released the statistics following accusations that one of the companies, Specialised Protection Services (SPS), was being subjected to a malicious and politically motivated persecution. SPS is the controversial bouncer company that controls security at entertainment venues across the Cape Peninsula.
SPS bosses André Naudé and Mark Lifman have been charged with running SPS illegally by failing to register with Psira. SPS, which
has links with alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome Booysen, took control of nightclub security in the city following the murder of former security boss Cyril Beeka in March last year.
Earlier this month Naudé and Lifman complained to the public protector that their prosecution was malicious and politically motivated.
Psira spokeswoman Maggie Moroaswi countered, saying their inspectors had compiled more than 230 dockets against security service firms in the province for breaking Psira’s code of conduct.
Three weeks ago a Psira investigation led to the arrest of 37 unregistered foreigners by the Brackenfell police, Moroaswi said.
Vincent Phillips, a commissioner of oaths who complained to the public protector on behalf of Naudé and Lifman, said Psira itself should be investigated because it was running its affairs in a scandalous and shocking manner.
Phillips said in his complaint that Psira had targeted Lifman and Naudé, while non-compliance in the province’s security industry was rife.
Psira’s Moroaswi said it was not “malicious” when “the authority enforces the law against any security service provider who blatantly disregards it”.
Phillips said Psira’s head of law enforcement, Stefan Badenhorst, had admitted to the provincial parliament in February that the authority was incapable of meeting its mandate. Badenhorst had said there were 420 000 registered security officers in SA, representing a ratio of one Psira inspector to 9 000 security officers.
Moroaswi said the com-plaint that Psira was applying the law selectively had no basis.