R779 million spent on private security for state-owned properties

TAXPAYERS have paid R779 million over the past five years to provide private security at state-owned properties across the country.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

This was disclosed by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson when he was responding to parliamentary questions posed by DA MP Edwin Bath.

Macpherson said the expenditure on private security contracts was R140.9m in 2020/21, R124.6m the following year, R144.8m in 2022/23, R161.7m in 2023/24, and R199.9m in 2024/25. The department has a total of 318 properties that are currently protected by private security companies.

"This is a constantly changing number due to properties that get vacated by tenants and thus require security services to prevent and respond to threats of illegal occupation. This number includes occupied and unoccupied properties located in various regions."

Macpherson further said there was a total of 248 security contracts in place.

The top 10 costly private security contracts signed by the department are worth R81m and cover periods ranging from 24 to 36 months. He said none of the listed contracts exceeded the original contract value.