News snippets from around the world

New Year shootings in Johannesburg left two people dead and 16 injured

Report. It reveals the growing e-crime economy, the increasing prevalence of attacks in the financial services, retail and government sectors, and in-depth analyses of adversarial tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used against the different regions and industries.

(Source: IT web)

Eskom wants another R27 billion from consumers in tariff hikes in 2020

8 Two people died and six were injured when the occupants of a car fired on Poppy’s Restaurant in Melville. Two hours later, 11 people were injured by gunshots that police believe were fired from a highway overpass into a crowd at a public celebration at Mary Fitzgerald Square in the city centre. While gun violence in South Africa’s biggest city is common, the location of the latest shootings has illustrated just how prevalent the problem is. South Africa has the continent’s highest murder rate with an average of more than 50 people killed each day.

(Source: biznews.com)

E-crime economy to expand in 2020

This is on top of the R23 billion it wants the courts to grant it in its battle against energy regulator Nersa. Eskom is in court fighting to get R69 billion through its recovery processes – i.e. hiking tariffs – over the next three years. The amount was denied by Nersa because the power utility received a bailout of that amount from government. If Eskom succeeds, electricity prices could double in 2020, and increase by 50 per cent over the next three years.

(Source: Daily Maverick / Business Tech)

Exposure to violent crime is taking its toll on SA’s mental health, say experts

2020 will likely continue to see targeted ransomware attacks against local governments and specific industries. This will potentially be driven by alternate motivations and orchestrated by organised cybercriminal gangs or event nation-statesponsored threat actors. That’s according to CyberInt, a provider of threat intelligenceled detection and response solutions, in its CiPulse 2020 Annual Threat Landscape

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA JANUARY 2020 Shelley Bernhardt, counselling psychologist at Witkoppen Clinic in Johannesburg, has warned of the long-term impact of trauma on South Africans.

“Crime and its associated trauma occurs across the spectrum. Almost all areas and communities in South Africa are affected or potentially affected by crime, and all individuals across the socioeconomic spectrum are vulnerable to the psychological distress associated with this,” said Ms Bernhardt.

(Source: Sowetan Live)

Farm killings and land grabs: AfriForum reports Ramaphosa to the UN

AfriForum has laid a formal complaint against President Cyril Ramaphosa and Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, in her capacity as former minister of international relations and cooperation, with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.

AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets said the complaint stemmed from a statement Ramaphosa made about farm murders and land grabs during a visit to the USA in September 2018.

Roets said the charge was aimed at Ramaphosa’s reaction to US President Donald Trump’s tweet in August 2018 that he had instructed his secretary of state to investigate land grabs and farm murders in South Africa.

(Source: News 24)

SAPS Christmas crime stats: Bheki Cele celebrates success and chastises ’embarrassing officers’ Job cuts will depress South Africa’s economy even more NEWS IN BRIEF

Cybercrime makes real money – but it can be stopped

A concerted effort to reduce the crime rate over the festive period seems to have been quite successful.

Despite increases in vehicle-related reports, some serious offences have seen a 10 per cent decline from the same timeframe recorded last year. SAPS officially define the festive season as 15 October to 11 January.

(Source: The South African)

KZN truck theft syndicate bust and 11 suspects arrested

Police in KwaZulu-Natal made a major breakthrough recently when they arrested 11 suspects involved in an alleged truck theft syndicate operating in the province. A source close to the investigation said that members of the SAPS’ tactical response team (TRT) responded to a report that a truck had been stolen in Maydon Wharf in central Durban. The truck was tracked to Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, and later recovered by police on the N2 near the Umgababa offramp.

The cargo and the trailer were missing. Eleven suspects were arrested: four Chinese nationals, three South Africans, three Zimbabweans and one Nigerian.

Five vehicles used in the commission of crimes were seized and impounded, and goods to the value of around R1.5m were recovered.

(Source: Sowetan Live)

Less than a month into 2020, South African companies announced thousands of job cuts.

In a country where a third of the labor force is already unemployed, this will put even more strain on demand and economic growth.

Almost 6 000 jobs are at risk as companies including Telkom SA SOC Ltd, the country’s largest fixed-line operator, and Walmart Inc’s local unit Massmart Holdings Ltd plan to reduce their headcount after slumps in earnings.

(Source: Business Tech / Bloomberg)

Cargo theft is surging across the GTA, and police are struggling to stop it

The new decade is still in its infancy and already we have heard news of potential malware attacks on major banks in the subSaharan Africa region. These alleged attacks are thought to be the work of a Russian hacking group named ‘Silence’. While it seems that South African banks have been unaffected to date – according to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) – this news is certainly consistent with the significant trend towards the monetisation of cyberattacks – there is real money to be made in working to breach the cyber defences of businesses, both big and small. And thus, there is no surprise that throughout 2019, organisations across all industries globally were targeted by cyberattackers.

This holds true whether we are talking about information being stolen for illegal gains, IT systems being hacked and shut down until a ransom demand is paid, or operational technology (OT) systems and critical infrastructure being damaged or shut down for geopolitical purposes. And so, it is unlikely that attacks are going to slow down during 2020, says Stefan van de Giessen, general manager for cybersecurity at Networks Unlimited Africa.

(Source: Gadget.co.za)

“Violent crimes are common”: Israel issues travel warning for SA

After a deadly incident in which a stolen tractor trailer, filled with boxes of meat, hit two vehicles before ramming into a petrol station in Mississauga, Canada, was just one of potentially hundreds of cargo theft incidents that the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) could see in the new year, according to police.

“I can’t really specify why it’s going up as (drastically) as it is,” said Det. Paul Allen with Peel Regional Police’s cargo theft unit.

New numbers provided to Global News by Peel police show a sharp rise in reported tractor-trailer thefts in the past five years.

(Source: Globalnews.ca)

South Africa’s “high levels of crime” have prompted Israel to join the US and several EU countries in issuing travel warnings for its citizens intending to visit the country. In a travel warning issued on New Year’s Day, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “In South Africa, there is a high level of crime.” Adding details for its citizens, the ministry described South Africa as a country battling violent crime, saying that women are at particular risk.

(Source: IOL)

Rio Tinto to restart South African unit in 2020 after security scare

Global miner Rio Tinto RIO.AX will resume full operations at its South African unit Richard Bay Minerals (RBM) in early January after cutting back because of security concerns for its workers. There have been a number of violent incidents at mines across South Africa, including robberies, that have raised questions about the lack of security and the threats they pose to the industry.

(Source: Nasdaq)

Petrol price, taxes and downgrade talk – what lies ahead for South Africa in February

February will be an incredibly important month for South Africans, with a number of major economic events on the calendar that will have an impact on everyday life in the country.

Petrol prices will be adjusted in the first week of the month, with the Budget Speech scheduled for 26 February, where possible tax changes and price adjustments will be made known. Following this, a credit rating review is expected from Moody’s, which could spark further gloom in the economy. Absa said in a research note on Monday 20 January that persistently weak business sentiment and ongoing bouts of load shedding are constraining South Africa’s growth prospects, while the drought seems likely to have a significant negative effect this year as well.

(Source: Business Tech)

New laws give Swedish police increased powers in fight against gang crime

International news

FBI report shows decrease in violent and property crime from 2018 statistics

Preliminary statistics show overall declines in both violent and property crime in the USA in the first half of 2019, compared to the same time frame the previous year, according to FBI crime statistics.

The Preliminary Semi-annual Uniform Crime Report covers January through June 2019. It contains data from more than 14 000 law enforcement agencies nationwide that voluntarily submitted information to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

According to the report, all categories of violent crime offenses decreased between the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2019, including robbery (-7.4 per cent), rape (-7.3 per cent), murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (-3.9 per cent) and aggravated assault (-0.3 per cent). Property crime also declined during the same period, specifically: burglary (-11.1 per cent), motor vehicle theft (-6.7 per cent) and larceny-theft (-4.2 per cent). The full Crime in the United States 2019 Report will be released later this year.

(Source: securitymagazine.com)

Two new laws giving the police increased powers of surveillance will make a significant difference in efforts to crack down on gang crime in 2020, according to Sweden’s police chief. Hundreds of new security cameras will be set up in the country’s so-called vulnerable areas, which are defined by a low socio-economic status where criminals have an impact on the local community. “We will put up [the cameras] where we can have the best success rate with them,” national police chief Anders Thornberg told TT. “Public places, different areas where crimes are committed.” The focus will be on streets and areas where drugs, crimes, violence and robberies happen at a higher than average rate. From 1 January 2020 a new law will allow to police to install cameras without having to apply for a permit. This, says Thornberg, will make a big difference to police work.

(Source: thelocal.se)

Tens of thousands of extra violent crimes every year expected in the US as a result of climate change

“Depending on how quickly temperatures rise, we could see two to three million more violent crimes between now and the end of the century than there would be in a nonwarming world,” said Ryan Harp, researcher at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead author of a new study published today in Environmental Research Letters.

(Source: Sciencedaily.com)

A GUARD MONITORING SOLUTION FOR ANY APPLICATION *

DB Projects and Agencies sales@guardreports.co.za 011 888 4982 356 Pretoria Ave, Ferndale, Randburg * All backed by on-site service

In conversation with... Nhlanhla Khuzwayo Managing director of Security Services at Servest

“My dream is to see South Africa rise and be counted among the global economic giants in our lifetime.” Born in Umlazi and raised in Inanda Newtown in KwaZulu-Natal, Nhlanhla Khuzwayo has always dared to dream big.

Fascinated by the workings of cars, ships, aeroplanes and rockets, he made up his mind as a small child that he was going to become an engineer. And, after completing his matric at Dr Nembula High School in Adams Mission in 1990, that’s exactly what he did.

“I have always had an inquisitive mind, wanting to know what makes things do what they do, which is why I chose to study engineering.”

Hard work and an unwavering focus over the ensuing years saw Nhlanhla achieve a raft of qualifications. These include a Master of Business Leadership Degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA), a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wits University and a diploma in Project Management.

He has also completed numerous other courses including the Executive Development Programme at UNISA, Explosives Technology (also through UNISA), Systems Engineering, Contracts Management, Acquisition Management and Specification Practices.

In May 2019, he was appointed managing director of Servest Integrated Facilities Management’s Security division, a position that carries with it huge responsibility.

“Our division is made up of about 7000 colleagues, servicing more than 700 client sites across the entire country on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week operation. Every day is adrenalin-filled, and no two days are alike. A typical day has to do with attending to operational challenges, meetings with my executive team and giving guidance where it’s needed. Add to that visiting clients and colleagues, and ensuring that our day-today actions are in line with the company’s business strategies, plans and targets, and there’s never a boring moment.”

What motivates you? “I was very involved with drafting the division’s strategy and business targets – part of my motivation comes from now being able to implement the strategies, part is about achieving our goals, and I thrive on new challenges and finding optimal solutions. I am also driven by the fact that our job is to create a safe environment by protecting our clients, their staff and clients, their workplaces, assets and business continuity. Our contribution towards making South Africa a safe and peaceful place for all is more than just a job, it is an honour.”

As a country with a terrible crime record, what do you feel needs to be done and by whom? “We need an all-encompassing, systematic, integrated and coordinated approach that combines the efforts of all government departments and civil structures, and sees them working together in unison. We also need to encourage communities to become active participants in Community Policing Forums, which are effective partnership vehicles with SAPS (South African Police Service) for crime prevention. And we need to focus on prevention programmes along with meting out harsher sentences for offenders. This is especially important with regard to femicide and child abuse. These shocking and ongoing incidents are seriously tarnishing South Africa’s image and need to be dealt with harshly and swiftly.”

Dreams and hopes for Servest “We have a new leadership at our helm, headed up by one of the most talented, experienced and business-savvy leaders of today. I’m referring to our Group CEO Xolile Sizani, who is leading the team with an exciting vision and a formidable strategy based on a firm and sustainable growth path. My dream is to see the company grow by leaps and bounds, accomplishing this shared vision and in so doing, being recognised by our clients and the industry as the leading integrated facilities management company on the continent.”

And for South Africa? “My dream is to see South Africa become a true rainbow nation as envisioned by founding elders… a country where political parties work selflessly and collaboratively to solve its challenges for the benefit of all South Africans.”

Your greatest concerns? “As a facilities management company, our success hinges largely on a healthy economy – the economic conditions of the country in which it operates are paramount. Many of our clients have been badly affected by the economic downturn in South Africa. Job losses have been massive, many companies have had to downscale, and some have closed down completely. We need to collectively and quickly solve the country’s economic challenges for the survival of us all.”

Your mentors? “There have been so many… leaders in a range of sectors from business, science and politics to spirituality and sports, both locally and globally, who have, in one way or another, imparted some degree of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, guidance and courage.”

Leisure time “Mostly it’s spent with my family. I also enjoy mentoring and coaching the youth on business management, career development and life skills.”

What’s on your bucket list? “Retire wealthy before the age of 55, then travel around the world – ideally on my own private jet! Hugely important to me is making an immense contribution in terms of lifting the Horn of Africa.”

The books you’re reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The 5am Club by Robin Sharma, World-class Customer Service by Basil O’Hagan, The Stellenbosch Mafia by Pieter du Toit and Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson.

SA’s multi-billion rand guarding industry in 2020

Following global trends

Unrelenting crime in South Africa should theoretically boost growth in its guarding sector, one of the country’s largest employers and currently worth as much as R45 billion by some estimates.

But from an affordability aspect, following the negotiated wage agreements by business and employee parties in late 2019, and on the back of a severely depressed economy characterised by budget cuts, job losses, company downsizing and closures, and load shedding, growth is going to be hard-won, believe some of its major players. They also see the industry paralleling international trends in many areas, not least of all compliance, workforce management, legislation and the adoption of new technologies.

Challenges for 2020 Writing for global security workforce management company Trackforce Valiant, Timothy Lozier, in his article “Security Guard Trends to Watch for in 2020” sees “some interesting developments” around rising crime, consolidation, new technology, business trends and the physical landscapes, with people, processes and technology being key to improving profit margins, reducing costs and retaining talent. What isn’t trending on his list, though, is an unreliable power supply.

Load shedding Danny Pringle, Executive Director of Secutel Technologies, says one of his biggest concerns for the guarding sector in 2020 is load shedding.

“In my opinion, the biggest challenges of this year will mainly relate to power outages due to load shedding. This will result in increased and unplanned demand for guarding services on short notice, and it will affect the stability and availability of communication infrastructures. Having sufficient trained staff available at the right place at the right time while dealing with an unreliable communication infrastructure will have a direct effect on the ability of security service providers to effectively schedule and manage geographically dispersed guards and incidents remotely,” he says.

Rising crime and protest action Other significant challenges for Pringle include “ever-increasing crime” and the possibility of protest action.

He also believes security companies need to look at changing the role of guards from being “merely people placed on site” to them becoming part of an overall effort to protect clients’ assets more effectively and efficiently. “Just training and appointing more guards in an attempt to resolve unpredictable resourcing challenges is not the answer,” he maintains.

He believes, too, that security service providers need to become proactive rather than reactive. “In order to be proactive, everyone must get involved and be a part of the solution. To get guards to become part of the solution, there will obviously have to be incentives. Paying higher wages and danger pay are certainly ways of incentivising people but for guards to be truly proactive, they need to be part of the process and to have access to high quality, comprehensive information that will assist everyone with making the best possible decisions.”

Tony Botes, national administrator of the Security Association of South Africa (SASA), is also concerned about protest action. Accordingly, he hopes that the newly named Minister of Employment and Labour department will promulgate the levies and collective agreements arrived at last year under the auspices of the National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPSS) “sooner rather than later” since delays could spark waves of labour unrest.

Non-compliance Non-compliance within the industry is out of control, says Botes. The relevant departments (including PSIRA [Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority], the Department of Labour and the CCMA) just don’t have the capacity to deal with the problem effectively, he maintains, hence the need for the Bargaining Council to “get its teeth into the battle against criminality in the industry” as a matter of urgency.

The economy Executive at Graphic Image Technologies, Laurence Smith, and CEO Country President of Securitas SA Holdings, Ashleigh Parry, both voice concern about the economy and its role in driving up already shockingly high levels of crime.

Botes says crime levels are very likely to escalate due to the state of the economy, with an under-resourced SAPS (South African Police Service) and a fearful populace relying more and more on the private security industry to protect lives and property.

“The economic pinch is being increasingly felt by consumers and suppliers,” Parry says. But, while acknowledging that wage increases are going to bite, she says her company and its clients fully support paying staff appropriately. “Wage increases, which are common across all industries, improve the standards of living for staff and we believe that in the long-term, the effect on the guarding industry will be positive.”

She also praises the transparency which accompanied the recent wage negotiations, saying it was in line with increasing requirements in all sectors for ethical and principled operation.

Technology Trackforce Valiant’s Timothy Lozier predicts the increasing adoption of drone, robot, facial recognition and monitoring technologies.

This supports the belief of SASA’s Tony Botes, who says that while growth in

securityfocusafrica.com numbers of security companies in South Africa “is significant”, it is not so in terms of officer numbers. This, he suggests, is an indication that although crime is escalating, consumers are opting for hybrid combinations of manned guarding and technology.

GIT’s Laurence Smith says advancements in technology are helping solve the shortcomings of products such as conventional body-worn cameras, which are easy to tamper with and difficult to manage at scale.

Guard safety is as much of a priority as client protection is, he avers. To this end, his company’s “industry-first” has translated cutting technology into a wearable sensor platform that boasts video, audio, location data and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities. All-seeing unified systems that can be extended virtually anywhere will not only improve communication but also reduce criminality, Smith says.

“Technology is constantly evolving,” adds Parry. “As a company, we invest heavily in research and development, both locally and internationally, to create bespoke solutions for clients specific to their individual budgets and efficiency requirements. This includes data analytics for tracking and forecasting trends, and up-to-the-minute safety wear that complies with health and safety regulations.”

The human element Inherent to any industry and no less to the guarding sector are ongoing problems such as theft, intimidation, bribery, blackmail, fraudulent qualifications and personal documentation, absenteeism, substance abuse and boredom-related performance failures.

Says Timothy Lozier: “If there’s one technology that will be most clear for mainstream adoption in 2020, it will be mobile guard management tools. Mobile applications for guard touring, incident reporting and visitor management have been around for a several years. Yet, as we start to see these applications evolve – from a standalone app to an integrated solution – with time and labor managements scheduling, and back-office administration, more companies and security managers will … adopt the mobile component of guarding, which has a low point of entry and can be easily introduced without much disruption.”

Further to this, Danny Pringle says guards can play a critical role in the process of information gathering using geographic location tracking and being able to communicate in real time. “PTT using GSM/Bluetooth/Wifi to enable voice communication from anywhere has become critical,” he says.

Because fulltime video streaming isn’t feasible from a bandwidth and incident management point of view, companies need to consider alternatives such as bodycam technology which he says can handle a combination of snapshots and video clips, which allows the control room to take control of the camera remotely and can see what the guard is seeing.

“Planning and the management of resources, is of course, critical in this entire process,” he continues. Guards need to be in position, which is where scheduling and route planning technology comes into play. Managing expectations versus reality properly lies, in part, in being informed of late arrivals and early abscondments so that the associated risks can immediately be mitigated. If this information is linked to the time and attendance recording process, which in turn is linked to the payroll, guards will endeavour to be on time and not leave sites earlier than scheduled. This can be achieved in several ways by using geo-tracking and location positioning, virtual geo-fence and waypoints, Bluetooth beacons, and biometric identification such as facial and fingerprint recognition.

PSIRA update In PSIRA’s December 2019 newsletter, director Manabela Chauke says the country’s education and security industries have started looking at ways of fostering partnerships with regard to “taking the Authority’s training aspect to greater heights”.

Further to this, PSIRA brand and communications officer Bonang Kleinbooi says it “has looked into the process of receiving and capturing course reports. Training centres will now need to provide PSiRA with course reports within a strict five-day period following students’ completion of their courses or they will be subjected to penalties.

“The call has also been heeded to no longer centralise capturing of course reports at Head office but to allow the process to take place in branches (with effective) from the 23rd of September 2019. This will allow for training centres to drop off and pay for the course reports at any of our branches, where we will have dedicated consultants solely capturing course reports. This will reduce the turnaround time for students to be captured on our system and to register with PSiRA.”