eThekwini municipality looks at insourcing security, cleaning services

The eThekwini municipality is considering the feasibility of insourcing security and cleaning services. 

During a protracted council meeting on Tuesday evening, a majority of councillors voted in favour of internalising the former.

The motion for the city's executive committee to investigate employing all outsourced security guards and report back on its findings was tabled in June by ActionSA provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango.

“During the adjustment budget, the city prioritises the insourcing of personnel [who] are under private service providers in entities and departments in the city,” read Mncwango’s motion. 

The EFF’s Themba Mvubu then called for an amendment to the motion to include cleaners, while mayor Mxolisi Kaunda called for the item to be adjusted to allow the city to first conduct a cost analysis.

He said the recent insourcing of Durban Solid Waste (DSW) had shown that internalising the workforce would be a huge balancing act. “It can be a lengthy process. It is not just feasible if you count the number of security personnel in the city and look at the finances of the city.” 

The ANC’s Nkosenhle Madlala proposed an amendment to the clause to enable the city manager to conduct a feasibility study that would include a cost-benefit analysis regarding security personnel. 

The IFP’s Mduduzi Nkosi noted the motion had no time frames and moved an amendment for committee to complete its report within three months.

The motion was adopted after 120 councillors voted in favour, while the DA opposed it.

DA councillor Mzamo Billy said the motion misled workers into thinking they would be employed by the municipality immediately.

“It is our view that this is reckless and can only be described as a desperate move to achieve political expediency at the expense of the poor who are exploited by the ANC-EFF government.” 

Billy said the ANC only supported the motion because it was part of EFF policy and the party would be embarrassed if it did not vote for it.

Earlier, about 40 members of the Iphimbo Labasebenzi Association (ILA), an NPO that represents eight security companies used by the municipality, gathered outside the Durban International Convention Centre to demonstrate their support for the motion. They were, however, denied access to the venue. 

Council speaker Thabani Nyawose ruled they should not be allowed into the venue after officials from his office, the IEC and security, who were charged with assessing whether they should be, concluded they were protesters.

“The people who are normally allowed are members of the public who want to come and listen and follow through on the discussions; [not] people who are here for a particular reason, who are demanding something because they are protesters.”

Chairperson Elvis Mncwango told TimesLIVE the ILA noted the ANC’s position on its members' “plight” and vowed they would return that favour at next year’s ballot box, just like they did for former mayor Zandile Gumede, who is on trial for corruption.

“Unfortunately, ANC councillors decided that we should be thrown outside to the cold like dogs, and instead of engaging us, they send the police,” he said. 

“We will make sure that in 2024 they are removed and won’t get any vote from the security force. We will mobilise our families and anyone to make sure the ANC gets below 40%. That’s our mandate now as security guards, so we can be free from this tender system. 

“We will do to them [what we did to] mam’ Zandile Gumede. We told her that since she was calling us names, we would remove her and we did.”