Security guards’ actions in Namibia: protection or crime? 0 By: Joseph Tobias I cannot begin to imagine or count how many cases I have heard or read from different sources of people being shot and killed, wounded, or physically and brutally beaten up by certain security guards from different security companies. These cases are increasing each and every day and they mostly go by unnoticed or just remain under the radar, because people are more focused on people who are killed, perhaps by their partners, passion killing (direct violence). This is mostly because it is easy to blame/notice the killers who do the wicked things of killing their women/partners whom they seemingly love brutally and without mercy, but the reality is that murder is murder, it does not matter how brutal the deed. And security guards shoot people unjustifiably, like they are not shooting fellow human beings, without thinking whatsoever. This happens more especially at bars and in public places in the eyes of the public, which is already brutality in itself, since people actually get to see the point blank shooting of another person, mostly just because of a simple negative narrative, criticism or insult. Having a weapon such as a gun or teargas does not mean you get to shoot or spray someone, let alone kill someone or anything that opposes, insults or says negative things about you, there are laws in place to handle these situations. It also doesn’t mean that, because you have a gun, a teargas canister, a wooden stick or a panga and wearing a uniform of a security guard/officer, that you have the right to take the law into your own hands; it’s illegal and should not be allowed to happen in Namibia.
Many of our people believe that security officers have the right to shoot people, just because their job involves security, guarding and protecting people or properties. Yes, it involves guarding properties and people, it also involve abiding by the constitution, laws and policies that are provided for the security profession. Several articles in the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1996 clearly states how people carrying arms should act and the consequences of not abiding to these stipulations.
The problem with Namibian security guards is that most of them do not have any experience or sufficient training or knowhow the Arms and Ammunition Act, they mostly do not know how to operate or work with fire arms, and the rules and regulations involved in carrying, handling and using these firearms.
There are multiple cases in Namibia where security guards usually shoot civilians for swearing at them, arguing with them, provoking them, or saying negative things about them.
Just in Windhoek 2013 a grade 10 learner at Ella du Plessis was reportedly killed after being shot in the head by a security guard for insulting and making belittling remarks about the guard, can you imagine little kids witnessing such a brutality. As it happens everywhere, people are entitled to their opinions and people get insulted everywhere every day, and they don’t shoot each other just because of that, there are also reasons why the constitution is there and it’s there to resolve these issues.
In most cases security guards easily escape conviction and imprisonment or being held responsible for these gruesome, aggressive and brutal events, just because they are security guards. Yes, Security Guards and security officers are essential for keeping our societies safe, security officers especially guards protect our properties on a daily basis and at night they are the ones responsible for keeping bad people like thieves, robbers and other criminals from our establishments, houses, shops, bars etc., and for that they should be applauded and be given the respect they so duly deserve. But guards also have a responsibility to follow certain procedures and guidelines before making tough decisions of shooting or firing their fire arms at human beings, and to avoid losing their tempers as it may cost someone’s life.
First of all, unlike police officers, security officers/guards are not required to ever make an arrest. Most security officers should merely observe and report and call the police if a crime occurs in their presence. However they can be able to take someone into custody while they wait for the police officers to come, which means force of some kind might be necessary in case of violent criminal who doesn’t obey orders. Which means the security guard should be as equipped as a police officer with handcuffs, baton, teargas. Most guards in our society only have guns as a means of achieving this or keeping order among civilians, no handcuffs, no teargas only a gun which they use in any situation even peaceful ones that can easily be resolved with words.
Secondly, before a security guard get goes to extreme measures of shooting someone let alone shoot to kill, they are supposed to use their common sense together with their training to solve different situations, starting with just being at a place in a uniform is enough to convince a person not to do anything illegal, followed by the use of voice to tell or talk to a person to keep his cool or maintain order, with a wise and peaceful choice of words if necessary and if the person cannot listen, its then when an officer can try to control and restrain him using necessary force like an officer’s bare hands, handcuffs, baton or teargas if need be just to control the offender and keep the person under control until the authorities comes. The officers have to read these situations before any of these decisions are made, not every situation will need extreme measures to control.
Guards should therefore be updated on the guidelines and procedures to be followed in the execution of their jobs and also in the discharge, firing and use of their firearms as per the Arms and Ammunition Act of 1996 and they should be therefore be held accountable for their actions in the absence of following these guidelines.
*Joseph Tobias is fourth year student studying towards a Bachelor’s degree in Public Management at the Unam.