In recent months, South Africans have been impacted by protests, riots, and incidents of public violence stemming from a lack of service delivery. As a result of minibus taxi strikes and rolling blackouts, there has been an overall sense of insecurity and uncertainty.
In that context, George Fitzroy, Managing Director of Servest Security, stresses the importance to the economy of ensuring that our communities and businesses are safe.
Social protests in South Africa are among the highest recorded in the world, he points out. In 2023-Q1, South Africa experienced 692 protests and riots, up from 456 incidents in the first three months of 2022, according to research conducted by risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
Community interventions are crucial to maintaining the safety of businesses and private property during times of crisis. “Despite the significant damage resulting from the looting and destruction of numerous businesses and infrastructure, we observed many concerned South Africans in potentially targeted areas in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal standing together to protect the businesses and spaza shops within their respective communities.”
During protests, another crucial aspect for businesses is collaborating with community-focused associations and law enforcement, Fitzroy points out, to gauge the situation and make informed decisions.
“In both the private and public sectors, it is imperative to facilitate strategic assessments and safety measures during protests,” Fitzroy says. “Businesses need to elevate safety and security standards during civil unrest and to place a strong emphasis on safeguarding employees and clients by implementing emergency protocols and comprehensive training to create awareness of those protocols. In addition, businesses should take steps to secure vacant premises and develop robust business continuity plans.”
To mitigate these risks, companies should make sure that they:
• Maintain transparent communication channels to keep all employees and clients updated throughout crises.
• Ask employees to remain alert for unusual activities on route to work and at their company facilities.
• Test intrusion and fire protection systems and review notification procedures with alarm companies.
• If they have security personnel, brief them on the situation and protocols to follow in case of emergency and keep an updated list of emergency contact numbers.
• Increase visible security at all entry and exit points. Ensure specialised security intervention is on standby if safety risk is elevated.
• Remove combustible material from around the exterior of the building.
• Install offsite monitoring, alarms, and panic response.
“Prioritising security in business operations means they are prepared for potential damage to their building and assets. Businesses must engage with reputable security service providers to fortify asset protection measures and conduct regular security system evaluations. Implementing these protocols will be instrumental in mitigating or minimising the impact of theft and minimising business operations disruptions during public unrest,” Fitzroy concludes.
For more information, contact Servest,
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