Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba marked May Day by welcoming almost 1,000 security guards insourced by the City of Johannesburg. The addition of these security guards, who are currently contracted by the City’s municipal entities, brings the total number of security guards insourced to around 3,700 since Mashaba took office towards the end of 2016.
In a statement before the official ceremony, Mashaba said the City’s multi-party government led by the Democratic Alliance (DA) was committed to bringing changes to residents, and especially to those that commit to ensuring the safety of others.
“Through insourcing these guards, the City is able to provide better benefits not only these employees, but also to their families and dependents,” Mashaba said.
“Ultimately, dignity is being restored to these security guards, who are essential to the successful day-to-day running of the City.” In June last year, the City of Joburg completed the insourcing of the first 1,600 contract security workers out of over 4,000, while saying the next phase of insourcing the remaining workers was to be implemented over the following weeks. By the end of 2018, 2800 security guards at various city departments were insourced in the City of Joburg.
Previously, the City outsourced its security services through over 150 contracts with service providers paying on average, R14,000 per security guard, while the guards themselves received as little as R4,500 as a basic salary per month. The city was able to increase their take-home pay by a minimum of 50 percent, while offering them employee benefits, stable employment, and containing the City’s escalating security costs.
