A legal battle is brewing over KwaDukuza municipality’s multimillion-rand security contract after ActionSA councillor Penny Fourie questioned contractor Pro Secure’s operations.

The company has threatened High Court action unless Fourie removes a video filmed at its KwaDukuza offices, retracts her statements and stops repeating claims it considers inaccurate.

Fourie visited the premises on October 7 to investigate security operations linked to the municipal contract, worth more than R5-million a month.

Her video showed dark rooms, empty chairs and desks stacked with paperwork. She questioned the absence of visible monitoring screens, despite municipal reports referring to a Pro Secure Security Control Centre.

Fourie said a woman identifying herself as a controller confirmed the premises were a control room. She also questioned how the municipality verified services before approving payments.

In an October 14 cease-and-desist notice, attorneys Cox Yeats said Pro Secure’s alarm monitoring and response coordination took place at its Durban head office, while the KwaDukuza premises handled administration.

The company maintained that CCTV monitoring was not among its contractual responsibilities and defended its appointment as compliant with procurement requirements.

Fourie was given until October 16 to remove the video, retract her statements and provide written undertakings or face possible High Court proceedings.

She has refused to back down.

“I have asked the attorneys to name one statement that is false. I have no bone to pick with any provider. All I am asking is for transparency, the money is from the ratepayers and we have a right to know how it has been spent,” she said.

Fourie has requested procurement records, contract extensions and tender evaluation documents. In an October 16 email to acting municipal manager Shamir Rajcoomar, she stated that an earlier request had gone unanswered.

She also said an October 15 security panel subcommittee meeting could not proceed because it lacked a quorum.

Municipal spokesperson Sifiso Zulu defended Pro Secure’s appointment, saying it followed the prescribed bidding process and remained subject to oversight.

“It is nothing new or secret and, therefore, not something that came into the public domain after councillor Fourie shone the light on it,” said Zulu.

He said the municipality was satisfied with the procurement process and rejected suggestions of inadequate monitoring.

Municipal departments were required to confirm services had been delivered before invoices were approved, while quarterly oversight reports were presented to the municipal services portfolio committee, of which Fourie is a member.

Zulu clarified that the municipality monitors its own CCTV cameras, while Pro Secure is responsible for alarm monitoring and response.

The Courier examined the published advertisement for tender MN 51/2025 and found no explicit reference to live CCTV monitoring.

Zulu acknowledged councillors’ oversight responsibilities but cautioned against interference in procurement decisions.

“If a councillor seeks to play an oversight role, there is absolutely no reason why that should not happen. It is the role of councillors to do so,” he said.

Pro Secure had not responded at time of publication.