Shongwe was speaking during a meeting on Thursday between the department and the security service providers currently contracted to DCSSL to render security services to the entire Provincial Government’s sites.

“You must identify and empower women in your companies, and these women should not only be used for fronting purposes. They must be afforded meaningful and decisionmaking roles, because many of them have the capacity to lead,” said Shongwe.

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He instructed that the companies must always ensure they pay their employees’ salaries on time. He urged for the payment of security officers’ wages in line with what had already been determined by the sector.

Shongwe said the companies must fully comply with the service-level agreement they had entered into with the department at the commencement of the current contract. He emphasised the importance of professionalism by the service providers.

He urged them to invest well in their business so that their companies could grow; thereby increasing mileage for their businesses and boosting their chances of getting more work in both the private and public sectors.

Furthermore, Shongwe cautioned all companies doing business with the state from colluding with officials, saying that such practices were unethical and could scupper their chances of being given opportunities in future.