Disgruntled former employees of Venus Security International gathered outside Standford Office Park in Centurion, seeking to claim wages and benefits they allege are long overdue. These employees, who served as security guards at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga, staged a peaceful protest on Thursday, demanding payment from their former employer. Venus Security’s owner, Hendrick Peter Kekana, or a representative, was expected to address the group, but neither he nor any HR personnel engaged with them, leaving the protesters without answers.
Blocked from accessing the offices, the former guards, both male and female, held their ground until representatives from the National Enterprises Workers Union Ya Afrika (NEWUYA) and the EFF’s Witbank branch intervened to mediate. According to NEWUYA’s National Organiser, Josephine Mtshweni, the group claims Venus Security owes 300 employees an estimated R6 million in unpaid wages and benefits, averaging R20,000 per employee. The outstanding amounts include severance pay, leave days, project bonuses, annual bonuses, and provident fund contributions. Mtshweni also alleged that the company had deducted tax from salaries but failed to remit these funds to the South African Revenue Service.
Escalating Frustrations over Unpaid Wages and Benefits
Issues began after the security officers’ contract with Eskom ended on June 30, 2024. By mid-October, some employees, frustrated over missing payments and the company’s silence, visited the Centurion office to request documentation and payment updates. On October 25, only a partial payment of R3,000 was provided to each officer for outstanding leave. Venus Security attributed the partial payment to Eskom’s alleged non-payment. Eskom, however, stated that it had fulfilled all financial obligations by the contract’s end date.
One security guard, Sibusiso Khumalo, voiced the growing frustration, sharing his dissatisfaction over their work conditions. “We demand that Kekana pay back our money. Kekana is very arrogant,” he said, reflecting the mounting tension among his peers. Venus Security responded with a statement on October 30, claiming that Eskom payments were being processed but would only cover employees not absorbed by the new security contractor.
Unanswered Questions and Dismissed Media Inquiries
Despite several attempts to reach Venus Security International for comment, the media faced obstacles, with a junior staff member disconnecting a call upon learning it was from a journalist. As the day progressed, Public Order Police asked the protesting guards to leave, ultimately dispersing the group, who returned to Mpumalanga empty-handed.
This protest sheds light on ongoing issues within South Africa’s security sector, where guards often endure irregular payments and precarious conditions. The stand-off outside Venus Security’s office highlights the urgent need for regulatory oversight and fair treatment for these essential workers, whose demands for rightful compensation continue to go unaddressed.
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