Safety concerns for Home Affairs staff amid security guard reductions

THE Public Servants Association (PSA) has detailed incidents where home affairs officials have been attacked on duty, just as the union also accuses the department of allegedly drastically reducing the number of security guards it hires.

- LOYISO SIDIMBA

According to the PSA, earlier this month its members in the Department of Home Affairs in Witbank reported to the union that a group of angry clients stormed the office, attacking them due to long queues and slow service delivery.

“The clients entered from the back door that is designated for official use only. Officials in [the] Witbank office had to flee for the safety of their lives” the union was informed.

The report to the PSA also stated that the Witbank office currently has one security guard, which is evidently not enough for a large office.

Staff also complained that home affairs clients are known to be aggressive or violent towards officials; hence, workers feel reducing the number of security guards will pose a safety risk.

The department was urged to reconsider downsizing security guards and prioritise its officials’ well-being.

PSA chief negotiator Peter Mngomezulu also listed a number of similar incidents at Byron Place in Tshwane in November, Middleburg, Mpumalanga and Mogale City in Gauteng, which both occurred in January.