Durban - Who exactly is Mzansi Fire and Security referring to as “the boys in blue” in its controversial new billboard in Malvern? This is what everyone wants to know.
The private security company appears to be sending conflicting messages.
The billboard - emblazoned with the words “Better than the boys in blue” - was erected last Wednesday near the corner of Main and Ridley Park roads in south Durban.
A photograph of it was posted on the Police Pics and Clips Facebook page on Thursday and Facebook users expressed outrage, with some interpreting the words “boys in blue” as a reference to the police and others a reference to rival private security company, Blue Security. Mzansi’s chief operations officer, Nolan Naidoo, last week told The Mercury’s sister paper, the Sunday Tribune, that the billboard was not a dig at either.
But Blue took umbrage at the billboard and took the matter up with Mzansi. The former has since received a letter from the latter’s lawyers, stating, “boys in blue is common parlance for reference to police services globally”.
SAPS spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane initially told the Sunday Tribune that Mzansi had indicated its billboard was not aimed at the SAPS or metro police.
He said the company had indicated to police that the billboard was aimed at a competitor, although he did not specify which one. “And we have it in writing from them,” he said.
Zwane said the police were not satisfied with the explanation as the community associated the term “boys in blue” with law enforcement agencies such as the SAPS, adding: “We are engaging with the company’s management to ensure our good working relationship is not soured.”
Blue managing director Henk van Bemmelen said whether the billboard was referring to Blue or to the police, it was “unacceptable” and Blue’s legal team was demanding it be taken down.
Van Bemmelen said Blue was recently voted Durban’s number one security company for the eighth consecutive year.
The Mercury has been unable to contact Mzansi.
The Mercury