Security Focus Africa - February 2022 - Vol 40 No 2

www.securityfocusafrica.com | Vol 40 No 2 February 2022 The official industry journal for professional risk practitioners: security, safety, health, environment and quality assurance

DRONES & Drones and guarding: GUARDING saving lives & catching criminals

News snippets

Justices Maya, SASA: Madlanga, Mlambo Security industry and Zondo: who’s the newly appointed ConCourt judge update nextMeet Chief Justice?

Jody Kollapen Zondo report — our legal expert weighs in

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securityfocusafrica.com Security Focus Africa has been marketing suppliers to buyers in Africa since 1980, and is the official industry journal of the Security Association of South Africa (SASA). Our readers form the core of Southern Africa’s buyers and decision-makers in the security products and services industry.

Our digital platform has a highly-focused readership of people at the very heart of the security industry.

Our news is distributed via website, digital magazine, and social media.

Our annual Security Focus Africa Buyers Guide is searchable via our online directory, with over 760 businesses and branches throughout Africa. Need to find a service or supplier?

We will help you find exactly what you need.

PO Box 414, Kloof 3640, South Africa Tel: +27 (31) 7646977 Fax: 086 762 1867 Email: contact@contactpub.co.za

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The official industry journal for professional risk practitioners: security, safety, health, environment and quality assurance

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Security Focus Africa: Serving the South African security industry for 41 years

CONTENTS

VOL 42 NO 2 FEBRUARY 2022

12 COVER STORY DRONES AND GUARDING 12 Even in its most rudimentary form, drone surveillance

is becoming a critical component in company security toolboxes.

No need to compromise your security!

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SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

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Official Journal of the Security Association of South Africa

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Published by Contact Publications (Pty) Ltd (Reg No. 1981/011920/07)

Vol 40 No 2

TEL: 031 764 6977 FAX: 086 762 1867 MANAGING DIRECTOR: Malcolm King malcolm@contactpub.co.za

REGULARS EDITOR’S COMMENT 4 Now, more than ever, it’s time for

PERSONALITY PROFILES 22 Justices Mandisa Maya,

Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Dunstan Mlambo and Raymond Zondo.

stoicism.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS 6 Update from SASA.

MEDIA STATEMENT 16 Eskom makes major strides

in its operational recovery process, cautions the path to sustainability will be long and hard.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE 18 South Africa is failing to ride the digital revolution wave. What it needs to do.

INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES 20 South Africa’s future is tied to ANC leadership and election battles.

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Vincent Goode vincent@contactpub.co.za

jackie@contactpub.co.za

POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 414, Kloof 3640, South Africa

OPINION PIECE 25 Safer kids online —

implementing screen limits and protecting the work of future leaders.

CYBER SECURITY 26 2022: beat bad passwords with the year of MFA.

MEDIA STATEMENT 27 Are stricter laws for scrap

PUBLICATION DETAILS: Security Focus Africa has 12 issues a year and is published monthly, with the annual Buyers’ Guide in December. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, we will only be publishing digitally, until further notice.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Editorial contributions are welcome.

For details please email editorial@securityfocusafrica.co.za.

yards the answer?

27 ADVERTISERS INDEX THE LAST WORD 28 Zondo Commission Second Report.

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Malcolm King Email: malcolm@contactpub.co.za

Security Focus Africa

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is a member of

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ingrid@securityfocusafrica.com

Jackie Goosen

the world.

trend report to better understand and prevent SA’s high crime rate.

Ingrid Olivier

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER:

NEWS IN BRIEF 8 News snippets from around SECURITY IN ACTION 11 AURA launch inaugural crime

EDITOR:

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

Now, more than ever, it’s time for stoicism Most of my generation (and some older, others younger) know of the poem “IF” by Rudyard Kipling. Wikipedia calls it an example of Victorian-era stoicism, but its message spans the centuries, as relevant today as it was in the days of horse-drawn carriages and child chimney sweeps. In crimeridden, politically divided, weather- and fire- battered, yet oh-so-beautiful 21st Century South Africa, we need stoicism more than ever if we’re going to keep our heads.

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or fun, I adapted “IF” to a South African context — may it make you smile and may Mr Kipling forgive me.

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f we can keep our heads when those around us Are losing theirs and blaming all the C’s; If we can see the road in times of darkness While dodging holes and new conspiracies.

If we can queue and smile despite the waiting; Or when slandered, refuse to respond with lies, Or being disliked, don’t react by hating Though we sigh and loudly roll our eyes.

If we can hope – but not make dreams our master,

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If we can plan – but not make thoughts our aim, If we can meet with victory and disaster And treat those levellers just the same.

If we can look past all the truths we’ve spoken Being twisted by the weak and by the fools, Or watch the things we’ve created being broken, And rebuild them with our tears and worn-out tools; If we can focus mostly on our winnings Knowing that triumph often follows loss: If we can thrive on faith and new beginnings, And show leadership, no matter who’s the boss.

If we can swim when water’s just a trickle

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

Ignore the signs that common sense is gone, If we discount the shallow and the fickle, We’ll leave a legacy long after we are gone.

If we can walk through crowds yet keep our wallets, And share with those who don’t have very much; If neither friends nor enemies can hurt us, Heads held high though with the common touch.

If we can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Ours is the earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more – we’ll be South African!

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

Surviving the rollercoaster I came across an interesting article by Zane van Rooyen, Product Marketing Manager of field sales management CRM (customer relationship management) and mobile ordering app Skynamo recently. Titled Nine ways to rebuild your business and improve resilience for 2022 and beyond, he compares the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to a rollercoaster ride. “For most businesses, performance is not yet at pre-pandemic levels,” he reckons. Despite the economic and other setbacks, however, he sees opportunity. “Business owners need to reassess their operations, get rid of what’s not working, and rethink their strategy.”

Here are his tips: • Set the right goals Take a look back at 2021 and figure out what worked and what didn’t work. Set SMART goals — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

These SMART goals can then be used for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess the health of your business and its overall performance.”

• Embrace the change “It is tempting to keep on doing things the way they always have been, but for most companies, that’s no longer an option. You’re better off embracing the changes and figuring out how to compete in a new landscape,” he says.

“Virtual meetings, cloud infrastructure, hybrid working arrangements and online shopping are all here to stay – along with increased financial pressure on consumers, online education, and health and sanitation concerns. And yes, cybercrime is also on the rise, and SMEs are not immune – so take the right precautions when running operations digitally.”

• Evaluate your business model Check that your business model is still appropriate for your offering and consider how you can fine tune it.

“Look at why you started doing things in a particular way and whether there may be a better way.”

• Check the financials Do a basic financial analysis to assess who your biggest customers are, where the bulk of your profit comes from, which costs are necessary and which can be cut. Make sure, too, to study gross profit margins, operating profit margins, net profit margins and returns on investment (ROI).

• Keep your customers “If you aren’t already doing so, make

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2022 the year you measure customer satisfaction and retention rates. These two measures are vital for understanding how robust your business is. Draw up a strategy for maintaining customer relationships and ask your customers to score their satisfaction with you.”

Communicate to connect “Put out high-quality communication that shows your company at its best.

Clean up your email database, refresh your social media channels and upgrade your website. Identify your highest-value customers and have a plan for engaging them.”

Evaluate employee performance “With the insights you’ve already gained from the financial analysis, goal setting and customer retention, you can now set employee-level KPIs to move your business forward. Apps like Skynamo, which track sales directly, can help you assess sales staff performance and see where additional support or coaching may be needed.”

Check your supply chains “The past two years have seen considerable disruption of global supply chains and shipping routes. Examine your own supplier base for potential vulnerability and identify similar companies to those whose products you already rely on. A diversified supply base will help reduce the risk of disruptions to your own customers.”

Use appropriate tech tools Technology is moving at lightning speed, he says, so it’s important to check that your tech is moving your business forward. “Look for apps and software that help you measure performance and give you actionable data you can use for better decision-making. Technology can also assist in improving productivity by automating repetitive tasks and allowing businesses to access information and perform tasks in real time.”

SoNA In his 10 February 2022 State of the Nation address (SoNA), President Cyril Ramaphosa had to break with tradition and deliver it from the Cape Town City Hall rather than in the Chamber of the National Assembly, which was damaged by fire – allegedly arson – early in January.

“For many, the fire was symbolic of the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, by rising unemployment, and deepening poverty,” he said, adding that the priorities identified in last year’s SoNA remained critical. These include ending the national state of disaster – implemented as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – as soon as possible, addressing the country’s erratic/unreliable electricity and water supplies, improving the efficiency and safety of its ports and railways, and completing the move from analog to digital transmission.

All well and good, I thought, but without dealing firmly and visibly with South Africa’s corruption pandemic, these plans are headed for failure. Further in his address, Ramaphosa thankfully went on to address corruption, saying he had been given the first two parts of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. He accepted responsibility for ensuring the report was ‘properly and carefully considered and then acted upon’ and that he would present a plan of action in response to the Commission’s recommendations ‘by no later than 30 June’ this year. While we wait to see justice meted out following that deadline, I draw comfort now from his stated commitment to protecting whistle-blowers ‘who are a vital safeguard in the fight against corruption and who take huge personal risk in reporting wrongdoing’.

Be safe.

Ingrid Olivier, Editor

ingridolivier@idotwrite.co.za

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Update from SASA Twenty-twenty two has kicked off with a bang, with a number of major events on the cards for the next couple of months and maybe even the rest of the year!

From the desk of Tony Botes, SASA National Administrator.

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embership All SASA memberships expire at the end of this month (February) so members in all categories will have to renew their memberships as soon as possible.

The SASA National Executive Committee has, for the second year running, decided not to increase our annual fees because of the financial challenges facing the industry and, in fact, the entire country.

Industry wage negotiations In terms of the National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector

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(NBCPSS) procedures, wage negotiations for March 2023 will commence early in March 2022, with the exchange of demands between Organised Employers (the three employer organisations, of which SASA is the largest) and Organised Labour (some 23 trade unions). Actual negotiations are scheduled to begin on 18 March, which will give the parties the opportunity to have studied and analysed the other party’s demands. This meeting will, as usual, probably concentrate on each side making presentations, clarifying, and motivating their demands, without much in the way of actual negotiations taking place. Shortly after that, dates will be confirmed for actual

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

negotiation meetings.

We believe that this process will be one of the most difficult that we have experienced in the past few decades and we will keep our members informed of developments, as we have always done.

The parties will have proportional representation in the 12-a-side negotiation meetings, with SASA having six seats, SANSEA five and one for the CEO (Consolidated Employer Organisation). Although heated discussions will no doubt be the order of the day in caucus meetings, we will speak with one voice during the actual negotiation sessions. Labour, on the other hand, has to share their 12 seats

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

amongst the many more trade unions, based on each union’s representivity.

A serious challenge facing us is that, in terms of the collective agreement concluded in late 2019 which provided for a Premium Allowance for three years, the next collective agreement will see the allowance collapse into the ordinary salary.

This is going to have a serious impact on overtime and Sunday time rates, as well as annual bonuses, leave of all types, etc.

This process will necessitate that each party looks deep into their crystal ball, as it will cover remuneration, benefits, and conditions of employment for the following three years, from March 2023 until February 2026. Once again, we won’t have any indication of how the national economic situation will change during this period — we were all blissfully unaware after the last round of negotiations ended in December 2019 that the Covid-19 pandemic was just around the corner and the chaotic effect it would have on our industry and the national economy.

Wage increases The third and final year of the NBCPSS Main Collective Agreement will come into effect on 2 March 2022, which is just around the corner and has already created serious challenges in respect of negotiating price increases with consumers, all of whom are demanding ‘more for less’.

The cherry on the top – albeit a bitter one – is that the National Minimum Wage increases from 1 March 2022 have just been gazetted. Although this will not seriously affect the majority of published salary rates, it will impact on the lowest grades (E, D and C) in Area 3 (the rural areas), where their salary levels will now be the same as that of a Grade B security officer in that area. The NBCPSS has already issued an explanatory directive in this regard.

Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Our members, probably all other security companies and employers in every other industry, too, are experiencing serious problems obtaining UIF letters of good standing from the Department of Employment and Labour, which – in our case – is a critical requirement for tenders.

We are hopeful that the DoEL will, at some stage, meet with us to find a solution to the challenge.

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PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority) We are still in discussion with PSIRA management regarding their proposed annual and monthly fees, which we believe to be excessive in the current economic scenario. We have made alternate fee proposals and are hoping for a positive meeting with them shortly.

The other serious challenge, mentioned in the last few publications, is that of PSIRA’s gazetted uniform restrictions. We believe these are unreasonable and, in most cases, unnecessary, and our attorneys have already communicated this to the Minister of Police. To date, we have not had a response.

Should our requests for a relaxation, or even withdrawal, of these regulations be unsuccessful, we have instructed Senior Council to, in the meantime, draft an application to oppose same, which will be argued in the High Court. A mutually acceptable resolution would be first prize, of course.

Non-compliance Now, more than ever before, noncompliance by security service providers in the private security sector is growing by the day, with probably two thirds of the more than 10,000 security companies wilfully and – in many cases criminally – exploiting their employees in every possible way.

Some of these misdeeds are due to consumer resistance to what they see as high prices. By far the majority, though, result from greed by the owners of those companies.

SASA is working closely with both PSIRA and the NBCPSS to identify and prosecute these companies (and their directors), and we have seen reports of many arrests and prosecutions during the past few months. It is a long and tedious process, with both of these regulators not having sufficient enforcement agents, but we’re getting there slowly — watch this space! We believe that both PSIRA and the NBCPSS should publish the names of such defaulting companies for public scrutiny, though it’s unlikely this will happen.

SASA will maintain its constitutional right of total compliance from our Gold Members, which will give consumers peace of mind when they appoint new security contractors.

Econorisk partnership SASA has partnered with EconoRisk, an

insurance brokerage that has many years of experience in providing vicarious and other cover for the private security industry. We urge our members to give them an opportunity to quote for your insurance cover when next up for renewal.

General Although each member of SASA’s NEC (National Executive Committee) has their own business interests to manage, they are all committed to meeting the challenges head-on, in the best interests of our members and actually the entire private security industry. That is what SASA does — and will continue to do!

Benefits of SASA membership: We are working on expanding membership benefits, which will be communicated to all members once finalised. Currently, these include: • A strictly applied Code of Ethics • Representation at national and local government level • Industry exposure in the media as well as at major shows and exhibitions • Contacts and networking opportunities • Discounted training courses, events and seminars • Access to a security library managed

by UNISA (University of South Africa) • Updates on new legislation and other industry-relevant information • Access to security-related and affiliated associations in South Africa and overseas • The SASA national website • A central administration office • Free digital subscription to Security Focus Africa magazine, the official journal of SASA • A mentorship programme which is designed to guide and assist startup security companies with attaining the compliance standards required to qualify for Gold Membership

For more information about what SASA does and how it can help you and your company, please contact: Tony Botes, SASA National Administrator, at: Tel: 0861 100 680 / 083 650 4981 Cell: 083 272 1373 Email: info@sasecurity.co.za / tony@sasecurity.co.za Website: www.sasecurity.co.za

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

News snippets from around the world Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters after a 90-minute closed-door meeting of the 15-nation council. She spoke on behalf of and was flanked by her Council counterparts from Albania, Brazil, Britain, France, Ireland, Japan, Norway and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). https://www.voanews.com/

Beitbridge border post security officials nabbed for alleged corruption

Abuse of police funds and ANC infighting a boon for private security firms

The Alpha and Omega of software supply chain security

The use of public funds in ANC political infighting and the ‘abuse of money’ in the South African Police Service (SAPS) hinders the police from doing their work properly, says Police Minister Bheki Cele.

Moreover, the police ministry has acknowledged that the legal woes besetting national police commissioner Khehla Sitole, including his mooted suspension from the post over the alleged misuse of crime intelligence secret service funds, has created uncertainty in the police service. https://mg.co.za/

What is the Alpha-Omega Project? Its purpose is to ‘improve global open-source software supply chain security by working with project maintainers to systematically look for new, as-yet-undiscovered vulnerabilities in open-source code’ and then fix them. This is vital to improving open-source security. To make this happen, the Linux Foundation’s partner group Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), Google, and Microsoft are joining forces to work with security experts and use automated security testing to improve open-source security.

Microsoft and Google are bringing an initial investment of $5 million to the Alpha-Omega Project. https://www.zdnet.com/

UK’s Queen Elizabeth offers £50,000 salary for security manager Queen Elizabeth is hiring a security manager after a man with a crossbow broke into Windsor Castle on Christmas Day. According to reports, the job advert on the royal family website warns that “the size and complexity of the royal residences will present you with some truly fascinating and often unique challenges.” Writing for mailplus, Richard Eden revealed that the Queen is seeking a security project manager on a salary of £50,000. https://www.geo.tv/

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UN Security Council discusses latest North Korea missile launch Nine UN (United Nations) Security Council members have condemned North Korea’s January 30 launch of an intermediaterange ballistic missile, saying it was “a significant escalation” in Pyongyang’s recent violations of Council resolutions and was intended to further destabilise the region. “We condemn this unlawful action in the strongest terms,” US (United States)

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

Two Beitbridge border post security officers were arrested last week for alleged corruption. Tshilidzi Samuel Masutha (35) and Ronewa Makhovha (31) were remanded until 2 February, for a formal bail application. According to the Hawks’ provincial spokesperson, Captain Matimba Maluleke, they were arrested on 26 January by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation members on allegations of corruption, theft of a motor vehicle, contravention of Section 88 of the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1974, and defeating the ends of justice. https://www.iol.co.za/

Cyber crooks are racing ahead of businesses’ security plans While online experiences are becoming more seamless and functional for consumers and businesses alike, cybercriminals are leapfrogging ahead. In its recent African Cyber Threat Assessment Report, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) highlighted just how serious the threat is for Africa, including SA. Alarmingly, more than 90 percent of African businesses are operating without the necessary cyber security protocols in place. https://www.businesslive.co.za/

Google releases security updates for Chrome Google has released Chrome versions 98.0.4758.80/81/82 for Windows and 98.0.4758.80 for Mac and Linux. These versions address vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to take control of an affected system. https://www.cisa.gov/

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NEWS IN BRIEF Intuit releases security notices, warns of phishing emails ahead of tax season Intuit released two warnings last week about different types of phishing emails being sent to their customers. The company said that it had received reports from customers about two kinds of phishing emails they were getting. Intuit urged recipients not to click on any of the links or attachments, not to reply to the email, and to immediately delete the email. In the event that they had clicked on a link or downloaded a file from the email, the company recommended deleting the download, scanning the system with an ‘up-to-date anti-virus program,’ and changing passwords. https://www.zdnet.com/

Police in KwaZulu-Natal arrest man allegedly linked to murders of 3 security guards A man allegedly linked to the January 2022 murders of three security guards has been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal. He was found attempting to perform a cleansing ritual at a traditional healer’s house. https://www.news24.com/

Microsoft Edge adds new browsing mode to prioritise security Tech giant Microsoft has just released version 98.0.1108.43 of its Edge browser that brings a host of new features, including a new browsing mode that prioritises security. The company said that this is a browsing mode in Microsoft Edge where browser security takes priority, giving users an extra layer of protection when browsing the web. Administrators can apply group policies to end-user desktops (Windows, macOS, and Linux) to help protect against in-the-wild exploits (also referred to as 0-days), Microsoft said in a blogpost. https://www.timesnownews.com/

Security and unplaced learners among the top concerns raised by Western Cape teachers The threat of being robbed and killed, insufficient space for the number of learners and a lack of classrooms were some of the complaints Cape Town teachers had when visited by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education recently. https://www.iol.co.za/

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Four cops being probed for security breach during parliament blaze

Binance clamps down on Nigerian crypto accounts after security concerns

Police top brass confirmed last week that they are investigating a security breach that occurred when a fire gutted the parliamentary precinct on 2 January 2022.

SAPS Head of Protection and Security Services Lt-Gen Sam Shitlabane said that they were running two parallel processes, one criminal and one departmentally, to look at the security breach. A departmental investigation has been instituted against four members of the SAPS who were on duty on 31 December, following the security breach,” he said. https://www.timeslive.co.za/

Crypto exchange Binance has restricted the personal accounts of some Nigerian users to comply with anti-money laundering regulations and ensure the security of the platform for traders. “Protection mechanisms such as know your customer, anti-money laundering measures, collaboration with law enforcement and account restrictions are in place to ensure our community remains protected,” the crypto exchange said in a statement on its website. “Some 281 Nigerian accounts have been affected by these personal account restrictions, with approximately 38 percent of these cases restricted at the request of international law enforcement.” https://www.businesslive.co.za/

The impact of the pandemic on cybersecurity Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisations had begun putting elements into place to manage distributed employees, whether through corporate remote desktop or virtual private networking (VPN) capabilities. However, this was not done at the scale and at a rate required to manage the disruption caused

by Covid-19. Suddenly, companies had to deal with the influx of connectivity challenges that they needed to overcome for their employees to remain productive.

Furthermore, support teams now had to manage providing access to critical systems, which were mainly hosted on-premises within the relative safety of their own corporate network. In many cases this resulted in companies having to implement more VPN licences to manage these additional external connections through their own firewalls. https://www.itweb.co.za/

Gateway mall insists security has been beefed up after yet another jewellery store robbery Management at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban say that security has been beefed up following robberies which took place at the mall, the most recent being last Sunday morning. According to KwaZulu-Natal police, at around 9.30 am, five armed men entered a shop and used a hammer to break open glass cases and steal jewellery and expensive bags. https://www.iol.co.za/

CCMA upholds security firm’s suspension after employee refuses to get vaccinated The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has upheld a security firm’s decision to suspend

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NEWS IN BRIEF

an employee after he declined to be vaccinated. While the ruling found that the reason for suspension was not based on his decision not to be vaccinated but rather due to another matter, the CCMA ruled that the suspension was not unfair and the employer did not act within the parameters of the labour practice laws. https://www.iol.co.za/

Security guard scam: manager destroys career for R2m A security company manager accused of colluding with area supervisors to rake in cash from a ‘ghost employee’ scam has been nabbed by the Hawks. The 49-yearold suspect was arrested in Johannesburg early last Wednesday and will appear in court on charges of fraud and money laundering. “Between 2019/2020 the suspect, who was employed as a general manager by a security company, approached area supervisors working around North West Province to start recruiting ghost employees. “The supervisors allegedly recruited about 56 ghost employees who were paid about R5,000 a month. https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/

President puts Mondli Gungubele in charge of State Security Agency SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last Monday that minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele will assume political responsibility for the State Security Agency (SSA), in a move which analysts say might not be unrelated to the fire that ravaged parliament earlier this year. The Presidency said that the step was in line with Ramaphosa’s announcement on 5 August last year that the Ministry of State Security would be abolished and responsibility for the entity would in future reside in the Presidency. https://mg.co.za/

COJ to revive Operation Buya Mthetho to address hijacked buildings and crime The City of Joburg says it will revive Operation Buya Mthetho to address hijacked buildings, illegal dumping and illegal water and electricity connections, along with other crimes plaguing the city centre. The multi-disciplinary team involves officials from the JMPD (Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department), SARS (SA Revenue Service), Home Affairs and other law enforcement agencies. Community

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Safety MMC David Tembe said that the problem was much bigger than abandoned high-rise buildings in the CBD. “One looks at Berea, one looks at Yeoville, even Houghton has been hijacked, and we need to audit and make sure that they are being restored to the rightful owners,” Tembe said. He added that if owners could not be found, buildings may be repurposed. https://ewn.co.za/

SAPS will not fund trial of former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli The South African Police Service (SAPS) will not fund the criminal trial of former Crime Intelligence (CI) boss Richard Mdluli and his two co-accused, the Investigating Directorate (ID) said last Tuesday. Mdluli, former CI Supply Chain Manager Heine Barnard, and the former Chief Financial Officer of the State Security Agency (SSA), Solomon Lazarus, appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria last week. https://www.news24.com/

Ramaphosa signs 3 new crime laws in South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law three new pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening efforts to end genderbased violence (GBV) and crime in South Africa. They are: The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill; The Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill; The Domestic Violence Amendment Bill https://businesstech.co.za/

US retailers quietly deploying controversial technology to combat crime spree Macy’s and a dozen other large retailers

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are quietly using controversial facialrecognition technology to fight a rise in smash-and-grab robberies and other coordinated attacks. The technology has new appeal at a time when theft and violence is on the rise, particularly from organised crime groups that steal millions of dollars in merchandise and then sell the products online. Organised retail crime has risen by 60 percent since 2015, according to the US’s National Retail Federation, with nearly 70 percent of retailers reporting an increase in 2021. As much as $69 billion worth of products are stolen from the nation’s retailers each year and a record 523 people were killed during robberies and other violent retail incidents in the USA in 2020. https://www.forbes.com/

Crime rate: South Africa’s gutted justice system struggles to keep up A soccer star shot dead. Parliament gutted by fire. People trampled to death in riots.

Even with the most spectacular crimes, South Africa’s criminal justice system can’t seem to keep up. https://www.thesouthafrican.com/

CIT heists on the rise, more than 50 heists reported in last two months More than 50 CIT (cash-in-transit) heists have been reported in South Africa in the last two months, statistics from the Cash-In-Transit Association of SA (CITASA) have revealed. Grant Clark from CITSA said that 59 CIT heists had been reported since the beginning of December up until 3 February 2022, with Gauteng being the highest -risk province for the crime. https://www.news24.com/

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SECURITY IN ACTION

Incidents: 2020 vs 2021 – this shows a 109% increase in reported incidents between 2020 and 2021.

AURA CEO Warren Myers.

Incidents per category and per province – In 2021, the highest volume of incidents were recorded in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Medical incidents — In May 2021, AURA reported a 61% increase in the number of medical related incidents, coinciding with the beginning of the country’s third wave of Covid-19 infections.

AURA launch inaugural crime trend report to better understand and prevent SA’s high crime rate AURA, South Africa’s leading security and medical response marketplace has released its inaugural Crime Trend Report, providing new and unique insight into South Africa’s crime stats in key categories, from armed robberies to attempted hijackings and gender-based violence.

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he report gathered data over the past year from AURA’s nationwide network of over 250 private security and medical companies comprising thousands of response vehicles and over 300,000 active users.

By having a clear and accurate picture of the threats South Africans face, technology can then be used to combat, and even prevent crime, says AURA CEO Warren Myers. “With these powerful data sets, which are being refined and improved daily, we are beginning to really understand how to apply technology to make our country a safer place for everyone.”

While AURA’s report focuses on 2021, it plans to release stats every quarter as part of its commitment to measure and analyse trends against those that are being reported at a national and industry level. “Our unacceptably

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high levels of crime mean that South Africans live in a near perpetual state of fear and anxiety. We should never become so desensitised to crime that we lose sight of its devastating impact at every level of society. Combatting it swiftly and intelligently is an urgent priority,” explains Myers.

The cutting-edge safety platform noted an increase in activity relating to its user’s safety.

Usage of AURA’s services to request help when they feel unsafe, such as when on the side of the road during a vehicle breakdown or in the event of suspicious activity, steadily increased throughout 2021.

Key highlights from the AURA 2021 Trend Report include: • An overall 109% increase in reported incidents between 2020 and 2021 — partly attributable to user growth.

• A 20.6% increase in incidents reported between Q3 and Q4 of 2021.

• A total of 4,973 hijackings were reported in 2021 — a 3.5% increase from the same period last year.

• Suspicious activity, vehicle breakdown, an altercation with a third party, followed by armed robbery are the most popular reasons cited for South Africans calling for help via an AURA-powered platform.

• In 2021, the highest volume of incidents were recorded in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

• Protest action and armed robbery per province reported for 2021 can be directly linked to the civil unrest that engulfed the country in the third quarter, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

• AURA recorded a 47% increase in incidents of domestic violence in Q2 compared with Q1. It recorded a further 45% increase in cases of gender-based violence between Q2 and Q3, followed by yet another rise of 41% between Q3 and Q4.

• In May 2021, AURA reported a 61% increase in the number of medical related incidents, coinciding with the beginning of the country’s devastating third wave of Covid-19 infections.

• AURA’s median response time for 2021 was brought down to just 7 minutes and 41 seconds in Q4, a clear indication of AURA’s increased marketplace and response network.

Other key findings from AURA’s report show a concerning increase in both organised, syndicate crime and opportunistic crime. Myers notes that while syndicates are becoming even more sophisticated, a rise in opportunistic incidents is indicative of ongoing tough socio-economic conditions.

“The bottom line is that we need to make it far more difficult to be a successful criminal, regardless of the crime. This will require building and integrating technologies that criminals simply cannot avoid or outsmart. These technologies are here in AURA and it is extremely exciting to put them to good use for everyone’s benefit.”

The full AURA 2021 Trend Report can be downloaded here: https://www.aura.services/ trend-report/

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DRONES & GUARDING

Next-level security that’s saving lives and reducing criminality

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SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

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DRONES & GUARDING

Even in its most rudimentary form, drone surveillance is becoming a critical component in company security toolboxes.

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hat’s according to Kim James, a director at Drone Guards, who says ‘eye in the sky’ drone technology has become another vital layer of defense for security teams on the ground. This critical vantage point, she says, allows guarding personnel to see in the dark ‘witching hours’ when criminals are usually active, and identify suspicious activity in real-time, without putting their lives at risk.

“In addition to our residential sites, where drone technology literally lets residents sleep better at night, we have drones on large industrial premises, mines,

Kim James, a director at Drone Guards.

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and even in nature reserves. In most instances, the drone teams are deployed at night and in known crime hotspots,” she says, adding that criminals chasing high-value assets often ‘out-arm’ security forces on the ground.

“Drones with thermal sensors can identify suspects often before they even manage to get onto the site,” she explains. “Tight integration between drone and security teams means that as soon as a suspicious activity or situation is identified, they can make the right decisions to counter it without putting themselves in danger. We get regular feedback that guards don’t feel safe or effective working on a site without drones providing them with ‘air cover’. We are also recording multiple successes – in some cases up to 100 percent year-onyear – with regard to the reduction of crime and incidents, thanks to the presence of our drone teams.”

Adds Zelia Phukuile, Marketing and Communications Manager at Bidvest Protea Coin: “The application of drones in the security environment requires a significantly different approach and infrastructural investment, compared with surveying, inspections, or engineering projects. In a typical security operation, a drone will do a routine patrol over critical

infrastructure or targeted areas to detect intruders. It also serves as a rapid response to alarm activations or suspicious activities detected by security teams on the ground or via CCTV cameras.”

Evolution during Covid The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the security sector to adapt and evolve, Phukuile states. “While drone technology has been around for more than 13 years, its applications have drastically changed the way that modern security is conducted. Drones can enhance security measures through incorporating the technology as an integral component within a security operational plan.”

She continues: “During 2021 (when South Africa was engulfed by the Covid-19 pandemic), 108,114 suspects were identified and more than 208 arrests were made across the sites where we apply drone technology. Bidvest Protea Coin has developed a specialised tactical drone capability, with customised vehicles equipped to sustain 12-hour operations in remote operational areas and flight hours of more than 60 minutes,” she says, emphasising the value of real-time video transmission that provides accurate and critical information, during incidents, to ground teams.

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DRONES & GUARDING

applications, such as mining, thanks to their ability to support manned guarding with monitoring large perimeters, highrisk assets, infrastructure, and equipment/ machinery using real-time situational awareness, especially during crimecombatting operations.”

New technology Global developments around autonomous ‘Uncrewed Aerial Systems’ (UAVs) have resulted in the ‘eagerly awaited drone-in-abox’ says James. Essentially a docked drone, protected from outside elements, it can be deployed by a predetermined trigger, she explains. It will then fly autonomously to the trigger site while feeding back live footage to the control room for either AI (artificial intelligence) or human intervention.

G4S, James points out, has partnered with Azur Drones to use its Skeyetech technology and several countries – the latest being Germany – have approved this kind of operation, too. “Personally, I think it will still be a while before we see it in South Africa, though we’re all waiting with bated breath for autonomous drone technology to be approved.”

Residential The Fidelity Services Group, under the banner of Fidelity Drones and in partnership with the UDS Group, recently launched a two-month drone project in the greater Fourways area of Johannesburg.

Wahl Bartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Services Group, says that the offering consists of a mobile command

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centre, linked to a tactical response unit for both reactive and proactive purposes, a qualified drone pilot and a fully equipped state-of-the-art drone. It will not only increase proactive crime prevention in residential areas, he believes, but it will also allow for more rapid responses to incidents, and play an important role in other emergency situations such as dangerous fires and land invasions.

Mining Bidvest Protea Coin deploys more than 34 permanently-contracted drone teams in South Africa’s mining sector, says Phukuile, adding: “Data and statistics compiled over the past 12 months and 134,000 hours by Bidvest Protea Coin and our sister company UAV & Drone Solutions, show that aerial surveillance services complement and enhance security services, while reducing the cost of operations and minimising the risk of exposure to our security officers, clients and the public. Contactless security – for example where drones are used to escort suspects off mine property or deter entry or targeting of clients’ property – has evolved from a theoretical concept to a viable physical application with a host of benefits. Drones have proven their efficiency in large-scale security

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Concerns The potential for criminal use of drones is a concern for Karen Allen, Senior Research Adviser, Emerging Threats in Africa, ISS (Institute for Security Studies) of Pretoria. In her report, she writes: “The global commercial drone market is forecast to reach US$43 billion by 2024, with Rwanda, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya expected to be Africa’s biggest users.

Commentary typically focuses on military drones and implications for international humanitarian law, or the use of drones for business and humanitarian purposes.”

“The proliferation of drone technology across Africa has significantly expanded humanitarian, development, business, and military operations. Drones, also known as unmanned aerial systems, have many positive uses, she says, but in the hands of terrorists and other criminals, they can be used as weapons, new forms of explosive devices, for illegal surveillance and precision targeting.

“The fact that hobbyist drones are commercially accessible and becoming more affordable heightens the threat and presents a challenge to those seeking to restore peace,” she warns, adding that Don Rassler of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point told researchers at the ISS that it’s ‘only a matter of time before drones get deployed more actively across Africa’. His studies, she says, “show how extremists acquire shop-bought drones in large numbers, transport them to conflict zones and adapt the technology to transform the devices into weapons.”

Wahl Bartman.

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DRONES & GUARDING

Solutions Allen’s suggestions include governments implementing early warning systems to flag the purchases and delivery of large consignments, especially to areas of conflict. She also recommends creating registration schemes similar to those used for cellphones for shopbought drones that don’t require licences. “Internationally, the Global Counterterrorism Forum has developed the Berlin Memorandum under its Initiative to Counter Unmanned Aerial System Threats,” she notes further.

“It urges states to observe numerous UN (United Nations) Security Council Resolutions that require ‘effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery’”.

Regulation and compliance According to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the South African agency responsible for drone safety, flying drones is legal in the country, provided that certain regulations are strictly followed. Its most important rules for flying drones are: Private use: • RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft) may only be used for an individual’s personal and private purposes where there is no commercial outcome, interest, or gain; • The pilot must observe all statutory requirements relating to liability, privacy, and any other laws enforceable by any other authorities.

All other use: • An RPA must be registered and may only be operated in terms of Part 101 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations.

Bartmann says that Fidelity Drones will work hand-in-hand with the Vumacam suburb surveillance system and in strict accordance with all privacy and aviation restrictions and laws. “Drones need to be licenced and flight details have to be approved to fly in certain areas,” he explains, adding that drone operations may only be conducted with the permission of landowners and/or other designated authorities.

“South African regulations still require certified pilots to be on site and in control of operational drones, and only one drone per pilot is allowed,” says James. “Although we operate using automated flights – the drone operator sets automated waypoint missions for the drone to follow, before returning to the

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home point – autonomous operations are not yet allowed. This means that we rely on human operators to control the drone, and in many instances for humans to identify untoward activity. It’s not the most effective way of operating, since teams have to be awake for up to 12 hours at a time during a night shift, watching a screen and safely managing operations within highly regulated procedures and safety protocols.”

Particularly concerned about the human element of this way of operating, James says that nightshifts are notoriously difficult. “Disruptive night shift patterns, challenging work (during pursuits, for example), exposure to sometimes harsh weather elements, high risk environments and working away from home for longer periods of time, can all take a toll on the individual’s mental and physical well-being with the direct result of lower performance and engagement at work. “There is a fine balance between the operation’s

profitability, client expectations, the actual goal of keeping high-value assets and people safe, and pilot remuneration,” she says, with the wellness of their teams one of their company’s main priorities.

Sources Drone Guards www.droneguards.africa www.aerialworks.co.za Institute for Security Studies (ISS) https://issafrica.org/ Bidvest Protea Coin https://www.proteacoin.co.za/ Fidelity Services Group https://fidelity-services.com/ South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) https://www.caa.co.za/

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MEDIA XXX STATEMENT

Eskom Kendal Power Station Mpumalanga.

Eskom makes major strides in its operational recovery process, cautions the path to sustainability will be long and hard Thursday, 27 January 2022: While Eskom continues to make major positive strides and delivering key milestones in its plan to operational recovery, the road to sustainability will still be long and hard.

Major projects and outages undertaken this year will continue to exert pressure on the supply side, raising the risk of loadshedding in the short term. These outages, however, are necessary interventions that will deliver long term benefits and the security of energy supply.

Reproduced here from: https://www.eskom.co.za/eskom-makes-major-strides-in-its-operational-recovery-processcautions-the-path-to-sustainability-will-be-long-and-hard/

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espite our good performance in recent weeks, particularly over the festive season, surpassing that of the previous quarter as well as the same period in 2020, much still needs to be done for Eskom to achieve operational sustainability and ensure energy security for South Africa,” said André de Ruyter, Eskom’s Group Chief Executive. Key among these are the interventions to extend the operating life of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, which will see the facility operating at half its generating capacity for most of the year.

“As we continue to turn around the situation in less than ideal circumstances, we would like to caution against

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increasing criminal activities on our networks and our assets, which result in increased risks of customer interruptions, public safety concerns and financial losses.

We urge security and law enforcement agencies to deal decisively with these criminal elements as their activities could have a very negative impact on our economy if not addressed decisively,” added De Ruyter.

De Ruyter added that Eskom had deployed an additional 450 security guards to its key sites, and was using advanced surveillance technologies such as intelligent cameras and drones equipped with infrared cameras to protect its assets. Further overt and covert surveillance and intelligence gathering were being put in place to prevent

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

criminals from causing damage to the Eskom system.

Having been synchronised to the grid for the first time during December 2021, on 11 January 2022 Unit 4 of the Kusile Power Station achieved full load of 800MW. The unit is going through the testing and optimisation phase and will contribute intermittently to the national grid over the period to full commercial operation by July 2022.

Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station has recently been taken offline for a long-term outage, whose major project is to extend the operating life of the power station by another 20 years.

Considering that the power station has been largely depreciated, the steam generator replacement (SGR) project, at a

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MEDIA STATEMENT XXX

budgeted R20 billion for both units, will enable Koeberg to continue to deliver zero-carbon electricity at a highly competitive cost, making the SGR project one of the most financially attractive projects in the Eskom portfolio.

Eskom will utilise the maintenance and refuelling outage on Unit 2 to implement the SGR project which entails the replacement of the unit’s three steam generators. This operation is scheduled to take place over the next five months, during which time Unit 2’s 920 MW contribution will not be available to supply the grid, further constraining an already tight supply situation. All other Koeberg long-term outage activities are continuing as scheduled with the formal application to extend the operating license already submitted to the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) and accepted for further processing. On 18 January 2022 the NNR granted Eskom permission to proceed with the SGR. Koeberg continues to be one of the most reliable power stations on the Eskom generation fleet, with the cheapest primary energy costs. Before this outage, Unit 2 had achieved an uninterrupted 454 days of generating a maximum 920 MW since its previous outage.

Unit 1 of the Kendal Power Station, which suffered a major generator transformer fire incident in September 2021, was returned to service on 3 January 2022.

Rain readiness plans continue to be effective against high and early summer rainfalls. Continuous improvements on this score are being implemented. A strong focus on coal quality was also paying dividends, with consumption of coal per unit of electricity produced showing a steady improvement.

Coal stock levels remain healthy with an average 46 stock-days. Including Medupi Power Station, which has excess coal, this rises to an average 80 days’ worth of stock. No power station is below Eskom’s prescribed levels or Grid Code requirements. Good progress is also being made in reducing the Rand per ton cost of coal, with coal costs reducing in real terms.

Eskom has not implemented loadshedding since 19 November 2021.

Transmission experienced a low number of interruptions with no major incidents reported. The Distribution division’s technical performance has seen an improvement in the duration and frequency of outages.

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Giving an overview of the organisation’s operational performance, Eskom Group Chief Operating Officer, Jan Oberholzer highlighted that 51 days of loadshedding were regrettably implemented since 1 April 2021, compared to 47 days for the 2021 financial year ended 31 March 2021.

“The Generation side of the business remains very challenging, specifically the availability of the coal-fired power stations due to plant unreliability and unpredictability contributing, to numerous breakdowns. The year-to-date Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 62.9% is not ideal,” remarked Oberholzer. “It is worth noting, however, that a key contributor to the low EAF were high levels of planned maintenance over the summer months, which rose to more than 12% of the generation capacity during the traditionally low demand festive season.

This aggressive focus on the Reliability Maintenance Recovery (RMR) Programme and the Generation Recovery Programme, will, over time, enable Eskom to improve the generation coal fleet performance.”

Eskom executives stressed, however, that a structural shortfall in generation capacity of between 4,000 MW and 6,000 MW needed to be addressed, as Eskom is not responsible for procurement of new generation.

Eskom also continues to strive for improved Transmission and Distribution system reliability through the Transmission Sustainability Plan and the Distribution Network Strategy. “These are very important elements of the electricity supply value chain. We cannot afford to neglect any aspect of our operations,” added Oberholzer.

Among its immediate operational priorities, Eskom will soon conclude its detailed investigation into the explosion at Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station.

“As Eskom had found in its preliminary investigation, the unfortunate incident was caused by a hydrogen explosion resulting from mixing of hydrogen and air during the purging process,” said Phillip Dukashe, the Group Executive for Generation. “The incident also seems to indicate procedural non-compliance and management failures.” Initial indications are that the cost to repair the damage caused by the explosion will amount to an estimated R2.5 billion.

This incident is being used as a case study to improve internal processes going forward. Eskom has taken corrective measures to safeguard its operations,

employees, and assets. Among others, these include the recent appointment of a recovery manager, while the process to recruit a multi-disciplinary team has commenced, said Dukashe. “A process to assess the damage to the property resulting from the explosion is underway, and is led by Eskom Rotek Industries (ERI) with technical support from General Electric, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Eskom has also launched an insurance claim on the incident, and insurers have appointed technical assessors who are working with Eskom and GE’s engineers to assess the damage. “Preliminary plans currently indicate the unit will only return to service during August 2024. We continue to explore avenues to accelerate the recovery of the unit,” said Dukashe.

Dukashe also reiterated that the process to address the design defects of Medupi and Kusile power stations is progressing well. Boiler plant modifications have been implemented on all six units at Medupi, except on a few specific components on Unit 6. Boiler plant modification outage is currently under way at Kusile Unit 2 following successful completion on Unit 1 during November. Unit 2 is expected to return to service in February 2022.

“Since the implementation of the solutions on Medupi Unit 3, which was used as a pilot, the unit has been running at an average of 93% EAF for 8 weeks from inspection outage in November 2021, an indication that the interventions have begun yielding the desired outcomes,” said Dukashe.

Eskom Group Executive for Transmission, Segomoco Scheppers said the majority of the coal power stations are operating past the midway of their operational life, at an average of 42 years, resulting in high levels of breakdowns. “As we continue to perform reliability maintenance and refurbishment projects to address lack of power station reliability, an elevated risk of loadshedding remains,” said Scheppers.

Scheppers added that Eskom will continue to rely on renewable energy sources to play a significant role to ease the pressure on the national grid, having contributed more than 3,500 MW to the power system during the day on some days. “For example, on 1 November 2021, at 13:00, about 19% of the country’s demand was supplied by renewable generation,” said Scheepers. “While this is still low, we expect renewables’ contribution to continue rising as additional capacity is brought online.”

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

South African fruit producers use digital technologies such as blockchain and radio frequency identification tags.

South Africa is failing to ride the digital revolution wave. What it needs to do Workplaces are adopting new forms of advanced automation at a rate that suggests a digital revolution in the making.

By Antonio Andreoni and Elvis Avenyo. Republished from https://theconversation.com/south-africa-is-failing-to-ride-thedigital-revolution-wave-what-it-needs-to-do-171515

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igital technologies such as sensorisation, networked data analytics, and artificial intelligence make it possible to collect data along the entire chain of production and consumption activities.

They also enable the data to be used for a host of other purposes. These include shaping markets and industries, offering benefits like reducing production costs and time to market, and increasing product and service quality.

But it is a revolution that is playing out unevenly, across and within countries.

This has consequences for the competitiveness, inclusiveness and sustainability of economies.

Countries have varying capacities to optimally harness and integrate these

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digitalised technologies. Preconditions for uptake include – firstly – reliable enabling infrastructures. This includes connectivity and energy. Secondly, there needs to be foundational capabilities, such as digital skills.

Middle-income countries such as South Africa are finding these conditions tough to meet. This is because they have been affected by premature de-industrialisation — a lack of diversification and relative shrinking of their production structure.

Our research shows that South Africa’s adoption and diffusion of digital technologies has been slow and uneven.

The research, and an ongoing digital survey, sheds light on the patterns of adoption and the factors influencing them.

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

Antonio Andreoni Associate Professor of Industrial Economics, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and Visiting Associate Professor, SARChI Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg.

Elvis Avenyo Senior Researcher, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg.

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Our research shows that South Africa’s adoption and diffusion of digital technologies has been slow and uneven.

We surveyed 516 firms in three key sectors. These were manufacturing, engineering and related services, the chemicals industry and the fibre processing and manufacturing sector.

South Africa has structural constraints that have limited the development and diffusion of skills and capabilities beyond some scattered islands of innovation. The constraints include limited productive diversification, its energy system and a high rate of unemployment.

But the country has potential for more rapid progress. First, it needs to take some crucial steps. It needs better resourced training institutions and more digital upskilling. It needs a more enabling infrastructure such as high speed broadband. It also needs a coherent digital industrial policy framework that enables a new industrial ecosystem.

What the research shows Our research highlights the potential of advanced digital technologies to drive socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable industrial development. We also identified pockets of the South African economy where this is happening.

Some mining firms, for example, have made processes more efficient and reduced waste. Predictive maintenance uses data analysis to identify problems before they cause production failures.

In the metal-machinery value chains, some foundries are using artificial intelligence to predict sub-surface defects and reduce internal scrap and rework rates. This has had a hugely positive impact on three fronts: reduced energy usage, the environment and competitiveness.

In agriculture, some producers are using digital technologies such as blockchain and radio frequency identification tags. These give farms and their ‘cold chains’ a competitive advantage in the export of high-value fresh fruits. This ‘industrialisation of freshness’ is making it possible for intensive agriculture to expand. The result is more and better jobs.

But the effective use of digital technologies requires reliable digital infrastructure. And firms need skills at all levels. These include programming, web and application development, digital design, data management, visualisation and analytics. Analytics need a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technologies.

Firms also need the ability to coordinate technological change along chains of activities.

To identify what would enable progress in digital industrialisation, we assessed digital readiness and adoption patterns at both sector and firm level. We found a mixed bag.

A mixed bag Many of the firms we sampled still make use of manual and semi-automated technologies. A smaller group are fully automated and ICT enabled. The full adoption of advanced digital technologies remains very limited.

This was the case in four key business functions: supplier relationships, product development, production management and customer-client relationships.

The picture was mixed, too, across the three sectors that we sampled. Firms in the manufacturing, engineering and related services sector are more ready than others. They have adopted digital system-enabled technologies in the four business functions. Not so for firms in the fibre processing and manufacturing and the chemical industries.

The limited adoption of technologies – and the slow and uneven diffusion – suggest that the process of change will be challenging. But firms expressed the intention to start using more technologies in their production and other structures. They also intend investing in advanced digital technologies.

Policy framework A broader digital industrial policy framework would help South Africa

accelerate digital industrialisation and get training institutions better resourced and aligned.

Our survey suggests it should have six related priorities: • improved cost, speed, and reliability of ICT infrastructure (bandwidth) • digital skills policy • digital technology policy • financing and investment • linkages to development policy • economic regulation, competition policy and data.

It should aim to shape a new industrial ecosystem that allows participants to seize opportunities. Key to this is enhancing government capacity to implement and enforce industrial policy.

And ensuring more effective cooperation with the private sector.

Overall, digital industrialisation will raise potential trade-offs and new conflicts in the economy. These span issues such as employment and new skills requirements as well as a need for industrial restructuring. There is also a concern that digital technologies will increase the existing divide between large and small firms. In turn, this will reinforce existing concentration in the economy. That would be bad for reindustrialisation.

A digital industrial policy must therefore ensure that benefits are distributed across different types of firms, their employees, and broader society.

This challenge is certainly not unique to South Africa. Other middle-income economies are facing the same difficulties. They also face the need to work out how to incorporate digital disruption within their existing policy instruments.

The research on which this article is based was conducted through the Industrial Development Think Tank at the University of Johannesburg. The research was later incorporated into a book, Structural Transformation in South Africa: The Challenges of Inclusive Industrial Development in a Middle-Income Country.

The limited adoption of technologies – and the slow and uneven diffusion – suggest that the process of change will be challenging. securityfocusafrica.com

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WELLBEING ISS TODAY

South Africa’s future is tied to ANC leadership and election battles The country could be on the cusp of major political change — but the ANC is likely to remain dominant.

27 January 2022. By Jakkie Cilliers. Republished from https://issafrica.org/iss-today/south-africas-future-is-tied-to-ancleadership-and-election-battles?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=ISS_Today&utm_medium=email.

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hat does South Africa’s future hold?

Can it move away from corruption and political infighting and onto a path of economic growth and stability? At a 26 January roundtable with top political analysts and economists, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) tested its latest country forecasts to the 2024 and 2029 national election results.

South Africa is struggling with corruption, poor governance and

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mismanagement. The African National Congress (ANC) – the ruling party since 1994 – is in deep crisis. In the 2021 local government elections, support for the ANC fell below 50% for the first time, and prospects for Africa’s oldest liberation party are dim.

Of the four trajectories discussed at the roundtable, the consensus was that the country’s most likely future – the Bafana Bafana scenario – holds. (The scenario was named after South Africa’s perennially underperforming national soccer team.)

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On this path, the dominant ANC faction led by President Cyril Ramaphosa gains the upper hand in the December internal party elections, and he leads the party to national elections in 2024.

That would set him up to remain ANC head to December 2027, when new leadership is elected ahead of the 2029 national polls. If past trends hold, Ramaphosa will step down early in 2028 to make way for a new ANC president anxious to get their hands on the levers of state power.

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SUCCESS ISS TODAY STORY

Given their age, few leaders in consideration in 2022 may contend the 2027 ANC electoral conference

The ANC is increasingly a coalition of self-interest, with no clear vision of its role or SA’s future The dominant question then is perhaps not if Ramaphosa will retain ANC leadership, but who will be his deputy and the rest of the so-called Top Six? The party has a strong tradition that the deputy becomes president, so all eyes are on that position.

The ANC is still South Africa’s largest party by a substantial margin. But it’s increasingly dependent on a rural support base, local business and factions from the former homelands to maintain its support. Accusations against Ramaphosa include weak leadership, the damage to service delivery of cadre deployment, and all-consuming factional infighting.

Elections have become a life-or-death struggle.

In addition to corruption, governance failure and voter apathy, the ANC’s decline in support can be linked to a steady increase in so-called born-free voters. To an outsider, the ANC of 2022 is increasingly a coalition of self-interest, without a clear vision of its role or South Africa’s future. It provides no inspiration.

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In the Bafana Bafana scenario, Ramaphosa emerges with significantly more support than any other candidate, but with a Top Six and a National Executive Committee that continue to reflect stark divisions. The result is a poorly disciplined and uninspiring team with no clear strategy and bad implementation.

These prospects will fill investors, the private sector and many South Africans with trepidation. They’ll contribute to further loss of ANC support in the 2026 local government elections, where its fortunes plummet to a mere 38%. The divisions in the party persist, bleeding through into policymaking, government effectiveness and development prospects.

In this scenario, faced with further losses in the 2029 polls, the ANC’s 2027 party electoral conference would probably be a messy and contested affair.

New faces may emerge among the Top Six. Given their age and health, few (or none) of the top leaders in consideration in December 2022 may survive that reckoning.

South Africa grows and things improve, but slowly. Hesitant reform is the order of the day given the need for constant consultations and compromises to retain unity within the ANC.

After the 2029 elections, South Africa and the ANC are at a momentous inflection point Gauteng is where the action will be in the 2024 national elections. The Bafana Bafana election forecast for that province shows ANC support at around 42%. At that level, the party is left with a difficult choice. It is probably the only one able to form a governing coalition but needs one of the larger opposition parties for that — e.g. the Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) or ActionSA. Nationally, the ANC continues its decline, as does the DA, though more slowly. The EFF holds on to its current support base, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) grows in KwaZulu-Natal province, and ActionSA emerges as a national party with 6% support in 2024 and 8% in 2029. The political landscape continues to fracture even as the ANC

under a new president in 2029 still gets more votes than any party, at 43% (172 out of 400 seats in the National Assembly).

After the 2029 elections, the ANC faces a stark choice since it needs the support of one of the larger opposition parties to govern. At that point South Africa and the ANC are at a momentous inflection point.

At the provincial level, the Western Cape remains under DA control in 2024 and does even better in 2029 as the Good Party collapses after Patricia de Lille retires from active politics. In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC is forced into an alliance with the IFP after the 2024 elections to get to a governing majority, and has to make numerous compromises in allocating provincial portfolios to achieve that goal.

The ISS roundtable briefly discussed the prospects for renewal in the ANC’s Top Six, including the election of a capable deputy president. That, coupled with a more decisive win for Ramaphosa’s reformist wing, could set the ANC on a different trajectory — one we called the Thuma Mina scenario. This is the second most likely outcome.

In that scenario, the ANC regains much of the urban black vote and possibly even boosts its support in 2024.

The result is that the party retains its national majority in 2024, including in Gauteng, while the DA, ActionSA and EFF struggle. This outcome is unlikely, but not impossible, and will require much more decisive leadership than is currently evident.

Underlying the discussions was a concern that the space to turn South Africa’s futures around from its current negative trajectory is shrinking. Politics is shifting away from the formal contestation between the current crop of established parties on which much of the ISS’ recent analysis is founded. This means that, like with all forecasts, a healthy scepticism is needed.

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PERSONALITY XXX PROFILES

Personality profiles: Justices Mandisa Maya, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Dunstan Mlambo and Raymond Zondo Following last week’s final (sometimes controversial and heated) interviews for South Africa’s next Chief Justice by the JSC (Judicial Services Commission), here are the four candidates, one of whom is likely to be appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. (While required to consult with the JSC and Parliament, it will be his final decision to fill the most powerful judicial position in the country which, according to Judges Matter, has been vacant for 116 days, at the time of writing.)

J

ustice Mandisa Maya If she becomes the country’s Chief Justice, Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya will be the first woman ever to hold this position. Born in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape in 1964, Justice Maya grew up in King Williams Town and Mthatha, where she matriculated at St John’s College. She went on to study law at the Universities

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of the Transkei (UNITRA / Walter Sisulu University), Natal and then Duke in the USA on a Fullbright Scholarship. Her degrees include a B.Proc, an LLB and an LLM (Labour Law).

According to Judges Matter, she worked as a court interpreter and prosecutor in the ’80s, before joining the Women’s Legal Defense Fund in Washington DC.

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

During the following decade, she worked as a law advisor at the Department of Justice and a lecturer at UNITRA. In 1999, she moved into the judicial arena, going on to become a member of the Bench in the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2006, its Deputy President in 2015, Acting President and then its first-ever woman President in 2017. She has also been a member of

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PERSONALITY PROFILES

the Black Lawyers’ Association, the National Association for Democratic Lawyers, and the Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies. She was the founder of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges in 2004, and is active in a number of organisations including the South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law, the South African Judicial Education Institute, and Lawyers Against Violence. She has served as a member and chairperson of the South African Law Reform Commission since 2013 and as a board member of the South African Journal on Human Rights.

In 2012, she was voted the South African Women Lawyers Icon. Justice Mandisa is also involved in the Transkei Women Zenzele Association and the Women’s Economic Advancement Group (Pty) Ltd. She is ‘highly respected in the legal fraternity’ for her integrity, independence and sensitivity to ‘gender-based violence and socio-economic inequalities in South African society’, according to the Nelson Mandela University, which lauded her ‘fine grasp of a broad spectrum of the law’ and ‘clear sensitivity to the vulnerability of women and children’ in its motivation for her honorary doctoral award, conferred on her in 2018. “She also satisfies the diplomacy criterion, having been elected the West/Southern Africa Regional Director of the International Association of Women Judges,” says Judges Matter.

Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga Mbuyiseli Russel Madlanga was born in 1962, in a rural village just outside of Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape.

After matriculating at Mariazell High School in Matatiele, he studied law at UNITRA, graduating with a BJuris degree after being awarded the Juta Best Student Prize. He then enrolled for an LLB degree at Rhodes University.

After graduating, he worked for the Department of Justice and lectured parttime at UNITRA to fulfil the contractual obligations of his government bursary.

He then became a fulltime lecturer at UNITRA before enrolling for an LLM in Human Rights and Constitutional Law, graduating cum laude at Notre Dame University in the USA. After completing his internship at Amnesty International in Washington DC in 1991, he returned to South Africa, did his pupillage on the

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Johannesburg Bar and then opened his own legal practice at the Mthatha Bar. Aged just 34, he was appointed as a Judge of the Mthatha High Court — South Africa’s youngest judge at the time. Three years later, he took up the position of Acting Judge of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. He was then appointed as a Judge of Appeal in the Competition Appeal Court on a permanent basis, although he remained on the Bench of the Supreme Court of Appeal until he became Judge President of the Mthatha High Court. It was during this period that he was appointed as an Acting Justice of the Constitutional Court. Over the ensuing years, he handled cases at High Courts throughout South Africa, in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court. He represented the country at the International Court of Justice at The Hague (Netherlands) and was appointed as Chairman of the Exchange Control Amnesty Unit by then Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel.

Justice Mbuyiseli also served as the Chief Evidence Leader of the Marikana Commission of Enquiry, a member and Deputy Chair of the Competition Tribunal, a member of the Judicial Service Commission, and a Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in late 2013. In 2016, the Walter Sisulu University conferred on him a Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree (honoris causa) and then, the following year, he was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Judicial Education Journal. Justice Madlanga has “published widely on the interplay of business and human rights, judicial ethics, and constitutionalism,” says Judges Matter, adding that “he has been the presiding judge in many hearings and seems to command the respect of his colleagues.”

Justice Dunstan Mlambo Judge President of the Gauteng High Court, Chair of Legal Aid South Africa and a trustee of the Legal Resources Centre public interest law clinic, Dunstan Mlambo was born in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. After completing his schooling at Thembeka High in Kanyamazane Township in Nelspruit in 1979, he enrolled for a law degree at the University of the North. He obtained his B.Proc in 1983 and then began his legal career as an assistant in the KaNgwane Government. In 1987 he was admitted to the fellowship

programme of the Legal Resources Centre, after which he became a candidate attorney at corporate law giant Bowman Gilfillan. In 1990 he was admitted as an attorney; by 1993 and aged just 34, he had risen through the company’s ranks to become an associate partner. He then opened his own law practice, Mlambo & Modise Attorneys, where he worked until joining the bench as a Labour Court judge.

According to Judges Matter, he moved to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg in 2000, spending the next 5 years there. This was followed by his appointments as a judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal and then Judge President of the Labour Court, succeeding Justice Raymond Zondo. Two years later, he took on a “tougher role as Judge President of the Gauteng High Court, the largest and busiest court system in the country,” says Judges Matter, adding that it was in this role that he really made his mark. “Judge President Mlambo is highly regarded as a judicial leader and administrator,” says the organisation. “Mlambo also has a reputation as an innovative leader,” it adds. “He is praised for introducing and sustaining Caselines, a virtual case management system that allows the filing and processing of court documents online. In 2018 Mlambo reintroduced the ‘premium service’ of the Commercial Court in Johannesburg to try and claw back from private arbitration some of the complex commercial cases which are essential to the future development of commercial law. More significantly, Mlambo was also instrumental in the establishment of both the Mpumalanga and Limpopo High Courts as standalone court divisions…”

An ardent supporter of social justice, Mlambo was a member and Chairperson of the Legal Aid board for 20 years, ensuring its clean audits and steering it towards a ‘justice centre model’ with permanently appointed and salaried lawyers. In 2019 he resigned in order to take up the Chairmanship of the Community Advice Offices of South Africa (CAOSA), which supports paralegals in townships and rural communities.

Justice Raymond Zondo Raymond Mnyamezeli Mlungisi ‘Ray’ Zondo was born in rural Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal in 1960, the third of

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PERSONALITY XXX PROFILES

nine children. Despite limited means, he matriculated from St Mary’s Seminary committed to pursuing a legal career.

In his 2017 interview for the position of Deputy-Chief Justice, as reported by judgesmatter.co.za, Zondo paid tribute to a local businessman who helped him attain his goals by providing his family with groceries while he was at university.

The loan was to be paid back once Zondo had obtained his degree, but when he qualified, the man cancelled his debt, asking him to rather pay the kindness forward. Zondo honoured his promise over the years, and in 2020, he and his wife Thembekile joined the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) in partnership with the Zondo & Bux Educational Trust.

Zondo attended the Universities of Zululand, Natal and UNISA, where he completed his LLB, BJuris, and LLM degrees. He then began serving his articles in activist Victoria Mxenge’s law firm until she was murdered, when he relocated to Mthembu and Partners and then Chennels Alberton Attorneys. Admitted as an attorney in 1989, he became a partner in Mathe

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and Zondo Incorporated, and served on the Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation or ’Goldstone Commission’.

In 1994, Justice Zondo was appointed to the Ministerial Task Team assigned to produce a draft Labour Relations Bill for post-apartheid South Africa.

Two years later, he became the first chairperson of the Governing Body of the Commission for the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). He was then appointed first as Acting Judge and subsequently as permanent Judge in the Labour Court. In 2000 he was elected Judge President of the Labour Court; in 2011 he became Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court, which led to a permanent appointment the following year. On 1 June 2017 Raymond Zondo was appointed Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa and in 2018, he assumed the role of Presiding Judge of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Says Judges Matter: “Zondo is one of the country’s most prolific judges, having written over two hundred judgments during the span of his nearly three-decade career, and over fifty since

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he became a judge of the Constitutional Court in 2012. Zondo also has experience in leading key institutions in the judiciary, including being the long-time Acting Chairperson of the Judicial Complaints Committee. Most recently, as Acting Chief Justice, Zondo earned praise for how he ran the Judicial Service Commission interviews in a dignified yet rigorous manner. He has also been commended for speaking out strongly in fierce defence of the judiciary when it came under attack…”

Sources Concourt: https://www.concourt.org.za/ Judges Matter: https://www.judgesmatter.co.za/ Nelson Mandela University: https://www.mandela.ac.za/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Briefly: https://briefly.co.za/ SA History: https://www.sahistory.org.za/ IOL: https://www.iol.co.za/ JSC: https://www.judiciary.org.za/

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OPINION PIECE

Safer kids online — implementing screen limits and protecting the work of future leaders With the new academic year now in full swing, children and students across South Africa will be sitting down at their computers to study, complete their coursework, and possibly even write exams online. This is an exciting time, but it is also fraught with worry as digital distractions are rife.

A

By Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET South Africa. s parents, guardians, and caregivers, it is important to provide the necessary guard rails to ensure that while technology remains an important educational tool, children do not lose focus on their studies, or worse, fall victim to cyberthreats and bullying at this crucial time.

The internet, smart phones and tablets have become an essential part of our daily lives. The same is true for our kids.

Estimates suggest that kids and teens between the ages of 8 to 18 spend about 44.5 hours each week in front of digital screens. When used well, digital devices and the internet are powerful educational tools and can inspire a love of learning. Younger people are also more vulnerable to various cyber threats which is why protecting digital progress is so important. The international Safer Internet Day, which takes place every year on 8 February, highlights the need for greater awareness and action to ensure the internet is a better and safer place for all. Parents need to ensure that children are equipped to do the best that they can do, but how do they do it? How do you protect kids from trolls and the cyberbullies when they need technology for study and research purposes?

A sensible approach starts with creating

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a healthy environment that encourages exploration, but with clear boundaries.

Clearly, our reliance on technology isn’t going to diminish, but there are ways we can all become better at managing it.

Managing technology with intelligence has never been more crucial. Which is why protecting technological progress is at the very centre of the ESET ethos.

Digital distractions What might seem harmless at first glance; studying while watching TV, texting, or checking social media, can impair learning and result in lower exam scores.

A study conducted by Dr Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University showed that 80% of high school students surveyed reported frequently switching between studying and technology. The same survey showed a direct correlation between digital distractions and a decline in marks.

Disconnecting devices is not a solution, but limiting what sites, services and platforms can be accessed is. If we want students to learn and perform at their best, smart phones and other online distractions must be managed.

The benefits of removing distractions while studying are almost incalculable.

Most students incorrectly believe that they can perform two challenging tasks at the same time. They may like to do it, they may even be addicted to it, but there’s no getting around the fact that it’s far better to focus on one task at a time.

One method of controlling access to digital technology is to physically remove it and allow for periods throughout the day when it can be used. Research suggests that children study most effectively for around 45 minutes. It’s important that those precious minutes are productive and free of distractions. Welcome breaks can then be used for quick updates and catchups, but a relatively strict routine needs to be adhered to. It’s too easy to get lost in Reels and TikToks beyond the allocated time.

Parents should also make use of a decent internet security platform, which should be a prerequisite on mobile phones and laptop computers anyway. ESET’s own Internet Security solution allows for screen and browsing limits to be set in place and allows parents to manage the access from their phone.

The solution ensures that students can focus on what they need to start the school year on the right foot while maintaining healthy habits for safe online behaviour, right up until exams.

With other cyber threats like identity theft, malware attacks and the potential loss of any data stored on a device should it be stolen or hacked, it is imperative that any device connected to the internet has suitable security protection.

Guiding children through constant technological change is hard enough as it is, which is why using tech to your advantage wherever possible is an absolute must. It’s safe to say that your kids will thank you for it in the end.

About ESET For more than 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure and consumers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated digital threats. From endpoint and mobile security to endpoint detection and response, as well as encryption and multifactor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use solutions unobtrusively protect and monitor 24/7, updating defenses in realtime to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption.

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CYBER SECURITY

2022: beat bad passwords with the year of MFA As we begin a new year, it’s become a tradition to mull over the worst passwords of the previous 365 days. A quick search of news articles on the topic reveals the usual culprits: 123456, 654321, qwerty and such still reign supreme as the most-used passwords.

Opinion Editorial By Brendan Kotze, Chief Development Officer at cybersecurity company, Performanta.

H

ow do we know this?

Cybercriminals tend to publish hacked databases online to sell the data to others or brag about their coup. Scanning these, security researchers can see which passwords are the most common — and those are, by their nature, very poor. If you can guess ‘123456’ in a few seconds, imagine how quickly a computer can do it.

Strong passwords are good, but it’s fortunately not the only choice to make our world much safer from cybercriminals.

There is another way, and we already use it every day. This one simple addition to our digital security can make it so much harder for criminals to breach our systems and steal our data.

That solution is two-factor or multi-factor authentication (MFA). If we make 2022 the year of MFA, it will be a significant win against the unscrupulous criminals preying on us online.

What is MFA, and why is it so effective?

You likely already use MFA. Think of the last time you conducted a transaction through your online banking. Chances are, you were sent a pin code via SMS or verified the transaction through a mobile alert or your banking app. You might also have noticed that more and more sites are using this mechanism. Gmail, Dropbox, Office365 and Facebook all provide 2FA and MFA checks to ensure you are you.

Criminals try to subvert this system.

When someone’s sim card is swapped without their knowledge, they often think

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that’s the origin of an attack. But it’s the last step. Criminals will first steal your login details, then use various techniques to convince a mobile operator that the phone number linked to your account has shifted to a new sim. Then they can intercept those messages containing one-time pins or authentication prompts. The very reason why sim swaps happen is an attempt to bypass multi-factor authentication.

MFA isn’t infallible. Nothing in security is infallible. You must always be vigilant. But MFA makes it much harder for criminals to use stolen credentials. And online criminals are often pretty lazy. They’d rather hack someone without MFA than with MFA. Just the presence of MFA can deter many attacks.

Fortunately, MFA is already widely available. Some businesses, such as banks, enforce its use, yet many more offer it as an option. If you make one security commitment for 2022, check the services you use for MFA support and activate it where available. Business leaders: talk to your security staff about MFA support.

Most cybersecurity companies provide MFA as part of their basic services.

Users sometimes resist MFA as another hurdle they must cross when logging in.

But, in a world where data moves freely between offices and homes, computers and mobile phones, criminals actively target people to steal their credentials.

Phishing, which uses fake messages to dupe users into handing over login information, grew by double and triple

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digits during 2021. Criminals want our credentials. MFA cuts through that, offering a way for people to authenticate themselves without remembering long passwords or lists of security questions.

We still need passwords. But, at least if someone is still using ‘123456’, it’s not the only thing stopping criminals from breaking in. MFA means sleeping easier at night — unless you are a cybercriminal. Then you have to do a lot more work or find an easier mark. MFA turns our connected world against the cowards that use it to rob us. Let’s make 2022 the year of multi-factor authentication and take technology back from the bad guys.

About Performanta Performanta was founded in 2010 and has over 150 staff worldwide, including former CIOs/CISOs from large enterprises.

It has a global footprint with a team of 80 analysts working in two SOCs, helping to secure customers across 50 countries, from offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, South Africa and the USA. Performanta offers a consultative approach to people, process and technology, focusing on security projects in line with adversarial, accidental and environmental business risk. With a holistic cybersecurity view, we understand the modus operandi of the perpetrator and accordingly build an intelligent defence mechanism to make customer environments less susceptible to attacks.

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MEDIA STATEMENT XXX

Are stricter laws for scrap yards the answer?

TLU SA welcomes stricter legislation against scrap metal dealers selling stolen materials.

Issued by: TLU SA.

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ransport Minister Fikile Mbalula has threatened to tighten the law against scrap metal dealers buying stolen PRASA material. It is estimated that the economy is losing billions of rands due to major cable theft. Mbalula classified theft and vandalism of PRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) infrastructure as sabotage to the economy.

TLU SA hopes that Minister Mbalula will ensure that it is not just stolen PRASA material that comes under scrutiny.

“There should be a particular focus on scrap dealers trading in copper and aluminium. Tractors’ and harvesters’ radiators and wiring harnesses are stripped at a tremendous rate for the copper. The insulation material of the wiring harnesses is burned away with fire to recover the copper. I have suffered damages worth thousands of rands due to this,” said Bertus van der Westhuizen, TLU SA Regional Chairman: Free State.

Erika Helm, TLU SA’s Chairperson: Local Government Committee, adds: “Residents

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of the country have been plagued for years by theft of infrastructure which means billions of rands in losses to businesses. This is not just a PRASA problem. This is a challenge for every business, including agriculture. In a period where economic growth is a priority, the government should strongly address the trade in stolen goods.”

“It is also important that the SAPS (South African Police Service) system is carefully checked with the registration of theft cases, especially in light of cable theft, so that the statistics clearly highlight the actual situation.”

Enquiries Bertus van der Westhuizen TLU SA Free State Cell: 082 571 5180 Erika Helm TLU SA Chairperson: Local Government Committee Cell: 079 699 6032

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THE LAST NEWS WORD

Zondo Commission nd 2 Report

By Peter Bagshawe

O

n 1 February 2022, the second part of the Judicial Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State (which will be referred below as the Zondo Report) was handed over for review by President Ramaphosa and comprised 631 pages. Timing precluded a reading of the entire Report and what follows homes in on extracts or what is perceived as being of prime importance.

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Before looking into details of the Report relating principally to Transnet and Denel, an observation is that Commission Chairman, Raymond Zondo, homed in eloquently on an area of weakness within South African criminal law and has recommended an elegant solution. Taking a further step back, social comment has been made on the lack of prosecution or visible progress by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on charging individuals identified as implicated in corruption to date. This is

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not the place to debate resourcing, infrastructure or funding nor the impact of the apparent historical capture of the National Prosecuting Authority, however — the problem remains that the offences identified by the Zondo Report fall into a more general framework. In this regard, forensic auditing and financial skills, combined with legal knowledge, are necessary to prepare the prosecution.

The State has insufficient resources in these areas to proceed rapidly. Zondo has proposed new legislation be enacted that

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THE LAST NEWS WORD

would make ‘abuse of power’ a criminal act, with a recommended maximum sentence of a fine of up to R200 million or 20 years in prison or both. As Zondo phrased it, in a pithy manner, this would cover potential offences committed by public officials ranging from ‘the President of the Republic who handles a large portion of the national wealth, or access to that wealth, to an unauthorised recipient, to the junior official who suspends a colleague out of motives of envy or revenge’. The simplification of the prosecution in terms of the offence is obvious. Regrettably, this will likely not be implemented retrospectively, so although providing a solution, the impact will not be immediate but the deterrent provided will be substantial.

As referred to above, the 2nd Zondo Report focused primarily on the capture of Transnet and Denel with brief reference to the South African Revenue Services (SARS). The Transnet debacle started with correspondence and meetings between Jacob Zuma, and the Report provides details of a protracted battle commencing in 2009 involving emails and physical meetings between Zuma and Barbara Hogan, the then Minister of Public Enterprises, around the appointment of a new Group Chief Executive Officer at Transnet. The Transnet Board preferred candidate was Sipho Maseko, who Zuma resisted appointing. Zuma’s preferred candidate was Siyabonga Gama.

Ultimately, Hogan was demoted as Minister, resigned from Parliament, and was replaced by Malusi Gigaba as Minister of Public Enterprises, who appointed Brian Molefe as General Chief Executive Officer at Transnet in 2011. Molefe continued in the position until his appointment to Eskom in 2015. At that time, Lynne Brown had replaced Gigaba as Minister of Public Enterprises and she appointed Siyabonga Gama as Group Chief Executive Officer.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, in conjunction with Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh and later Garry Pita, via their control of the Board Acquisitions and Disposals Committee, were initially in a position to conclude contracts with a value of more than R500 million.

Individually, executives were also given more financial power from 2011, and by 2012 the Board Acquisitions and Disposals Committee mandate increased to contracts up to R2 billion. By 2013, Singh had the power to conclude deals up to R750 million and Molefe’s authority limit was increased to R1 billion. The routing of

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All in all, the 2nd Report makes for sorry reading and begs the question of whether there will be consequences and, if so, over what period of time. contracts through the Board Acquisitions and Disposals Committee bypassed usual Transnet governance controls and inflated the purchase of train sets from the initial price of R38.6 billion to R54 billion.

Various other procurement irregularities were identified in the Report, with a recommendation that Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Eric Wood – who headed the Gupta owned financial services company Regiments Capital – and its staffing be investigated for illegal conduct on charges of corruption. Additionally, Zondo recommended that Molefe, Singh, Gigaba, Gama, Garry Pita and former Chief Engineer Thamsanqa Jiyane be investigated by authorities on charges of corruption and racketeering relating to cash payments allegedly received by them from Gupta family members between 2010 and 2018.

Denel operated profitably as a stateowned enterprise and prior to the deployment of a new Board of Directors

by Lynne Brown, the then-Minister of Public Enterprises had an order book of R35 billion, was liquid and operated profitably. The previous Board had been in place between 2011 and 2015 and had operated effectively; the new Board put in place by Brown was constituted without consultation with the Department of Public Enterprises, as would normally be required. The lead-up to the appointment of the new Board was founded on approaches previously made to then-Denel Chief Executive Officer, Riaz Saloojee, by Salim Essa to conduct business with Gupta aligned interests. Soolajee declined and ultimately the newly appointed Board suspended Saloojee, Chief Financial Officer Fikile Mhlontlo and Company Secretary Elizabeth Africa. The suspended executives were later paid out by Denel, following its failure to follow disciplinary procedures. The Brown-imposed Board was headed by Daniel Mantasha who had previously been an attorney for Jacob Zuma and was struck off the roll by the Legal Practice Council between 2007 and

2011. This was found by the Commission to be evidence of Brown failing to apply her mind to the appointment, and further, that the Denel Board she appointed was involved in systematic corruption that led to the financial consequences for Denel as an operating entity. The capture of Denel was largely predicated on the purchase of shares in VR Laser (a legitimate supplier of armoured steel to Denel) and ultimately full control of VR Laser by Salim Essa.

Through this vehicle, three large contracts were irregularly awarded by Denel to VR Laser, two involving Denel Land Services and VR Laser and the last between Denel Vehicle Systems and VR Laser. The Report recommended the investigation of these contracts for breaches of the Public Finance Management Act. In addition, the Report recommended the investigation of Mantasha and the Denel 2015 Board. As a postscript, Denel was forced to receive a bailout from National Treasury to recapitalise the business in 2019 and a further amount in 2021 — these demonstrate the level of damage to the business.

In a teaser of recommendations contained in the 3rd Report (due to be released at the end of February 2022) Zondo has referred to the need for an independent body to be established to identify and select suitable Board members for state-owned enterprises following the damage done to South African Airways (SAA), Eskom, Transnet and Denel via appointments made by politicians. Again, this is a sage conclusion but it rests on the executive to follow through.

All in all, the 2nd Report makes for sorry reading and begs the question of whether there will be consequences and, if so, over what period of time.

PETER BAGSHAWE holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the former University of Rhodesia and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

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DIRECTORY

SECURITY ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (SASA) ADMINISTRATION Suite 4, Blake Bester Building, 18 Mimosa Street (cnr CR Swart Road), Wilro Park, Roodepoort Suite 147, Postnet X 2, Helderkruin 1733 National Administrator: Tony Botes t: 0861 100 680 | e: tony@sasecurity.co.za c: 083 272 1373 | f: 0866 709 209 Membership, accounts & enquiries: Sharrin Naidoo t: 0861 100 680 | e: admin@sasecurity.co.za c: 083 650 4981

SASA OFFICE BEARERS

REGIONAL OFFICE BEARERS

National President: Marchél Coetzee c: 084 440 0087 e: marchelcoetzee@omegasol.com

Gauteng: Gary Tintinger c: 084 429 4245 e: gary.tintinger@cwexcellerate.com

National Chairperson: Franz Verhufen c: 082 377 0651 | e: fverhufen@thorburn.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal: Clint Phipps c: 082 498 4749 e: clint.phipps@cwexcellerate.com

National Deputy Chairperson: Louis Mkhethoni c: 082 553 7370 e: louis.mkhethoni@securitas-rsa.co.za

Western Cape: Koos van Rooyen c: 082 891 2351 | e: koos@wolfgroup.co.za

SECURITY AND RELATED ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANISATIONS PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority) Eco Park, Centurion t: +27 (0)12 003 0500/1 | Independent hotline: 0800 220 918 | e: info@psira. co.za | Director: Manabela Chauke | Chairperson: T Bopela | Vice chairperson: Z Holtzman | Council members: Advocate A Wiid | Commissioner A Dramat APPISA (Association for Professional Private Investigators SA) Bertie Meyer Crescent, Minnebron, Brakpan | e: info@appelcryn.co.za | www.appelcryn. co.za | c: +27 (0)73 371 7854 / +27 (0)72 367 8207 | Chairperson: Ken Appelcryn ASIS International Johannesburg Chapter No. 155. Box 99742, Garsfontein East 0060 | t: +27 (0)11 652 2569 | www.asis155jhb.webs. com | President/chairperson: Johan Hurter | Secretary: Chris Cray ASIS International (Chapter 203: Cape Town – South African Security Professionals) President/chairperson: Yann A Mouret, CPP Secretary: Eva Nolle t: +27 (0)21 785 7093 f: +27 (0)21 785 5089 | e: info@aepn.co.za | www.asis203.org.za BAC (Business Against Crime) Box 784061, Sandton 2146 | t: +27 (0)11 883 0717 | f: +27 (0)11 883 1679 | e: info@bac.org.za CAMPROSA (Campus Protection Society of Southern Africa) President: Des Ayob | e: 27149706@nwu.ac.za Executive Secretary: Derek Huebsch | e: huebsch. derek@gmail.com | www.camprosa.co.za CISA (Cape Insurance Surveyors Association) Shahid Sonday t: +27 (0)21 402 8196 | f: +27 (0)21 419 1844 | e: shahid.sonday@saeagle.co.za | Mike Genard t: +27 (0)21 557 8414 | e: mikeg@yebo.co.za DRA (Disaster Recovery Association of Southern Africa) Box 405, Saxonwold 2132 | Chairperson: Grahame Wright | t: +27 (0)11 486 0677 | f: (011) 646 5587 | Secretary/treasurer: Charles Lourens t: +27 (0)11 639 2346 | f: +27 (0)11 834 6881 EFCMA (Electric Fencing and Components Manufacturers Association) Box 411164, Craighall 2024 | t: +27 (0)11 326 4157 | f: +27 (0)11 493 6835 | Chairperson: Cliff Cawood c: +27 (0)83 744 2159 | Deputy chairperson: John Mostert c: +27 (0)82 444 9759 | Secretary: Andre Botha c: +27 (0)83 680 8574 ESDA (Electronic Security Distributors Association) Box 17103, Benoni West 1503 | t: (011) 845 4870 | f: +27 (0)11 845 4850 | Chairperson: Leonie Mangold | Vice chairperson: David Shapiro | www.esda.org.za ESIA (Electronic Security Industry Alliance) Box 62436, Marshalltown 2107 | t: +27 (0)11 498 7468 | f: 086 570 8837 | c: 082 773 9308 | e: info@esia. co.za | www.esia.co.za FDIA (Fire Detection Installers Association) Postnet Suite 86, Private Bag X10020, Edenvale, 1610 | t: +27 (0)72 580 7318 | f: 086 518 4376 | e: fdia@fdia. co.za | www.fdia.co.za | President/chairperson: Clive Foord | Secretary: Jolene van der Westhuizen

FFETA The Fire Fighting Equipment Traders Association) Postnet Suite 86, Private Bag X10020, Edenvale 1610 | Chairperson: Belinda van der Merwe Administration manager: Rosemary Cowan | t: +27 (0)11 455 3157 | e: rosemary@saqccfire.co.za | www.ffeta.co.za FPASA (Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa) Box 15467, Impala Park 1472 | t: +27 (0)11 397 1618 | f: +27 (0)11 397 1160 | e: library@fpasa.co.za | www.fpasa.co.za | General manager: David Poxon GFA (Gate & Fence Association) Box 1338, Johannesburg 2000 | t: +27 (0)11 298 9400 | f: +27 (0)11 838 1522 | Administrator: Theresa Botha HSA (Helderberg Security Association) Box 12857, N1 City Parow 7463 | t: +27 (0)21 511 5109 | f: +27 (0)21 511 5277 | e: info@command.co.za | www.command.co.za | Chairperson: Stephen van Diggele IFE (Institution of Fire Engineers (SA) Treasurer: Andrew Greig | President: Mike Webber | Administrator: Jennifer Maritz | PO Box 1033, Houghton 2041 | t: +27 (0)11 788 4329 | f: +27 (0)11 880 6286 | e: adminstaff@ife.org.za | www.ife.org.za ISA (Insurance Surveyors Association) Box 405, Saxonwold 2132 | Chairperson: Graham Wright | t: +27 (0)11 486 0677 | Vice chairperson: Alan Ventress | Secretary: Alex dos Santos LASA (Locksmiths Association of South Africa) Box 4007, Randburg 2125 | t: +27 (0)11 782 1404 | f: +27 (0)11 782 3699 | e: lasa@global.co.za | www.lasa.co.za | President/chairperson: Alan Jurrius | Secretary: Dora Ryan NaFETI (National Firearms Education and Training Institute) Box 181067, Dalbridge 4014 | Chairperson: MS Mitten | Vice chairperson: Ken Rightford | t: +27 (0)33 345 1669 | c: +27 (0)84 659 1142 NaFTA (National Firearms Training Association of SA) Box 8723, Edenglen 1613 | National chairperson: Peter Bagshawe | t: +27 (0)11 979 1200 | f: +27 (0)11 979 1816 | e: nafta@lantic.net POLSA (Policing Association of Southern Africa) t: +27 (0)12 429 6003 | f: +27 (0)12 429 6609 | Chairperson: Anusha Govender c: +27 (0)82 655 8759 PSSPF (Private Security Sector Provident Fund) Jackson Simon c: +27 (0)72 356 6358 | e: jackson@ psspfund.co.za | www.psspfund.co.za SAESI (Southern African Emergency Services Institute) Box 613, Krugersdorp 1740 | t: +27 (0)11 660 5672 | f: +27 (0)11 660 1887 | President: DN Naidoo | Secretary: SG Moolman | e:info@saesi.com SAIA (South African Insurance Association) Box 30619, Braamfontein 2017 | Chief executive officer: Viviene Pearson | Chairperson:

Lizé Lambrechts t: +27 (0)11 726 5381 | f: +27 (0)11 726 5351 | e: info@saia.co.za SAIDSA (South African Intruder Detection Services Association) | Association House, PO Box 17103, Benoni West 1503 | t: +27 (0)11 845 4870 f: +27 (0)11 845 4850 | e: saidsa@mweb.co.za www.saidsa.co.za | Chairperson: Johan Booysen Secretary: Cheryl Ogle SAIS (South African Institute of Security) Postnet Suite 86, Private Bag X10020, Edenvale, 1610 Chairperson: Dave Dodge | Administration manager: John Baker | t: +27 (0)63 782 7642 | e: info@instituteofsecurity.co.za | www.instituteofsecurity.co.za SAN (Security Association of Namibia) Box 1926, Windhoek, Namibia | Administrator: André van Zyl | t: +264 81 304 5623 | e: adminsan@iway.na SANSEA (South African National Security Employers’ Association) Box 62436, Marshalltown 2107 | Administrators: SIA t: +27 (0)11 498 7468 | f: 086 570 8837 | e: galen@sansea.co.za SAPFED (Southern African Polygraph Federation) President: Flip Vorster | c: +27 (0)82 455 1459 | e: info@sapfed.org | Secretary: Anrich Gouws | e: admin@sapfed.org | www.sapfed.org SAQCC FIRE (South African Qualification Certification Committee) Postnet Suite 86, Private Bag X10020, Edenvale 1610 | t: +27 (0)11 455 3157 | www.saqccfire. co.za Executive Committee: Chairperson: Duncan Boyes Vice chairperson: Tom Dreyer 1475 Committee: Chairperson: Lizl Davel Vice chairperson: John Caird D&GS Committee: Chairperson: Nichola Allan; Vice chairperson: Clive Foord General Manager: Rosemary Cowan | e: rosemary@saqccfire.co.za – Address, phone and website all remain as is.

SARPA (South African Revenue Protection Association) Box 868, Ferndale 2160 | t: +27 (0)11 789 1384 | f: +27 (0)11 789 1385 | President: Naas du Preez | Secretariat: Mr J. Venter, Van der Walt & Co SIA (Security Industry Alliance) Box 62436, Marshalltown 2107 | t: +27 (0)11 498 7468 | Chief executive officer: Steve Conradie | www.securityalliance.co.za SKZNSA (Southern KwaZulu-Natal Security Association) t: +27 (0)39 315 7448 | f: +27 (0)39 315 7324 | Chairperson: Anton Verster c: +27 (0)82 371 0820 VESA (The Motor Vehicle Security Association of South Africa) Box 1468, Halfway House 1685 | t: (011) 315 3588/3655 | f: +27 (0)11 315 3617 | General manager: Adri Smit VIPPASA (VIP Protection Association of SA) Box 41669, Craighall 2024 | t: +27 (0)82 749 0063 | f: 086 625 1192 | e: info@vippasa.co.za | www.vippasa.co.za | Enquiries: Chris Rootman c: +27 (0)82 749 0063 | e: vippasa@protectour.co.za

* Every attempt has been made to keep this information up to date. If you would like to amend your organisation’s details, please email jackie @contactpub.co.za 30

SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA FEBRUARY 2022

securityfocusafrica.com

DRIVING COMPLIANCE in South Africa’s Private Security Industry

With a five decade legacy, SASA is the greatest advocate of industry compliance, serving as resource for its members, an educational platform for consumers of security services, and an essential link between the private security industry and government. The Security Association of South Africa (SASA) is nationally recognised by the Government, South African Police Service and all Municipalities as having members with a proven track record within the industry and a Code of Ethics by which members must abide.

SASA Gold Membership promotes compliance not only to the industry role-players, but to the end-users of security services as well. Join SASA today and find out more about how we can fight the scourge of non-compliance, promoting SASA Gold Membership as an essential requirement for all security service providers, ensuring industry excellence for the private security industry.

For more information, contact the SASA Administrator on admin@sasecurity.co.za Postal Address: Suite 147, Postnet X2 Helderkruin, 1733. Tel: 0861 100 680 Fax: 086 670 9209

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