As South Africa enters the 6th day of the 21-day lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the response by South African citizens is commendable with typically busy locations being emptied. This has prompted companies to either terminate or downscale their security services leaving businesses vulnerable as we head further into lockdown. Criminals remain undeterred by the pandemic.
A decrease in security measures during the lockdown will add to the dependency on the SAPS, which will place additional strain on law enforcement.
“The response by businesses in SA during this time has been remarkable. As part of the contribution to the national response to COVID-19, we urge companies not to reduce or stop security protocols during the lockdown for their own protection, as well as to ensure that we don’t place additional strain on law enforcement,” commented Martin Kingston, on behalf of Business for South Africa.
Private security is listed as an ‘essential service’ under the Disaster Management Act, 2002: Amendment of regulations issued in terms of section 27(2).
For media enquiries, please contact:
André Prinsloo, andre.prinsloo@fnb.co.za