Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum donates ‘pistols’ to Police Minister’s bodyguards

Soundbite: Jacques Broodryk (English)

Klankgreep: Jacques Broodryk (Afrikaans)

AfriForum today handed over a set of water pistols, earmarked for the bodyguards of the Minister of Police, Senzu Mchunu, at the department’s headquarters in Pretoria. These ‘weapons’ were donated in protest to the proposed amendments to regulations that would practically disarm the private security sector. AfriForum also handed over a letter to Mchunu’s office, outlining the organisation’s opposition to the proposed amendments to regulations in terms of the Private Security Industry Regulation Act (PSIRA).

With this protest, AfriForum argues that if Mchunu supports the amendments to these regulations and therefore makes it practically impossible for private security officers to defend themselves and others, it would only be fair for his bodyguards to carry ineffective weapons, such as water pistols.

“It is absurd that the government has to rely on private security to guard buildings – and, in certain cases, even police stations – while, at the same time, pushing for the implementation of regulations that will render that same industry powerless,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety.

The proposed amendments were published in the Government Gazette on 28 March and have already sparked criticism from various quarters of the security sector. AfriForum maintains that the proposed changes will paralyse the industry, jeopardise thousands of jobs, and leave millions of the country’s residents without reliable protection.

Meanwhile, last week, AfriForum submitted an application to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to determine how many police stations make use of private security services to guard their premises. According to media reports, there are several examples of cases where private security firms are contracted to perform even the most basic tasks (such as access control) due to a shortage of police officers and a lack of resources.

The civil rights organisation believes that attention should be drawn to the following concerning aspects of the proposed regulations:

Disarmament on suspicion: Security companies may be prohibited from issuing firearms to their officers even if the company is simply under investigation, regardless of whether any formal charges have been laid.
Ban on firearms in public spaces: Armed officers could be restricted from patrolling in public spaces such as malls, schools or churches.
Unclear ammunition restrictions: Since there is no clarity on what the proposed limit for a “reasonable” quantity of ammunition is, this could entail serious legal implications and uncertainty.
Unrealistic firearm tracking: The requirement that every firearm must be fitted with a tracking device is, with current available technology, impractical.
Ban on less-lethal devices: The ban on the use of rubber bullets, stun guns and water cannons eliminates the use of critical tools when dealing with violent unrest.

“In a country overwhelmed by violent crime, where the SAPS is overstretched and severely under-resourced, private security plays a critical role in protecting communities. To disarm this sector under the guise of regulation is not only irrational – it is dangerous,” Broodryk concludes.

AfriForum encourages the public to support its campaign against the implementation of these reckless regulations. The deadline for public submissions is 25 April 2025. Join the fight. Protect our protectors by adding your name here.