Cape Town - The Western Cape has the third-highest number of security companies paying security guards below the minimum wage, MPs heard.
With 66 companies paying below the minimum wage, the Western Cape follows Gauteng’s 99 and KZN’s 92 companies.
Furthermore, MPs told a private contractors’ regulator they had concerns about the number of fly-by-night private security companies in the sector.
In a recent briefing by the police committee, MPs expressed their concern to the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority about unregistered security companies that have infiltrated the industry.
Though the authority said arrests had been made, no figures have been provided.
The annual report showed that 1 793 security companies were inspected for firearms in 2021/22 in the province.
More than 4 720 general inspections of security companies in the Western Cape had taken place in the year under review.
In the Western Cape, 522 investigations were finalised and 145 criminal cases had been opened.
Inspectors found 87 unregistered and 44 untrained security guards in the province.
At least 228 improper conduct dockets against security companies in the Western Cape were recorded, according to the annual report.
MPs adopted the report which, among other things, recommended that the authority strengthen its security operations and prosecutions, enforce effective compliance by regulating firearms used by security contractors, and ensure companies were registered.