George Poole, representing KOSRA, and Doug Swanson, representing Kenton/Bushmans Chamber of Business and Tourism, met with the Kenton SAPS Station Commander, Capt. Parkinson on Friday 3 July 2020 to discuss the above.
In terms of the Municipal By-Laws, car guards must be licensed by the Municipality to operate.
No valid licences have been issued for Kenton. We have been advised by the SAPS that contravention of Municipal By-Laws must be dealt with by the Municipality, not the police.
If anyone is harassed by a car guard or a beggar, the correct recourse is to immediately phone the Kenton SAPS on 046 648 1222 and request assistance. If you wish to take it further, after you have been assisted, you should go to the charge office and make a statement. For this you would need the name of the person concerned.
Capt. Parkinson has undertaken to contact the relevant official in Ndlambe Municipality and request that he take appropriate action against the car guards and beggars.
The SAPS strongly advises us all to refrain from giving cash or food to car guards or beggars, as this only encourages them.
NDLAMBE ROAD AND TRAFFIC BY-LAWS
37. Parking attendants
- No person may, in exchange for money or some other thing of value or in anticipation thereof:
- direct the operator or occupant of a motor vehicle to a public parking space: or
- provide any other parking or related services in a public place.
I think the question should be do we need car guards?
If the answer is yes then should we not get some of the guys licensed
I don’t think I have heard of any country in the world where begging is listed as an offence. It is not a social problem that reflects the state of the economy and the inability of the Government to deal with poverty. A law is not going to relieve poverty.
A proper reading of our notification will reflect that neither the Chamber of Business nor KOSRA suggest for one moment that begging is a criminal offence. But harassing defenceless elderly people and demanding money from them is. And conducting any kind of business (including car guarding) without the appropriate licence required by the Municipal By-laws is also an offence.
If anyone is harassed by a car guard or a beggar, the correct recourse is to immediately phone the Kenton SAPS on 046 648 1222 and request assistance. If you wish to take it further, after you have been assisted, you should go to the charge office and make a statement. For this you would need the name of the person concerned.
For clarity could you please explain the intended recorse of the above statement. Would a charge to laid??
Surely we should encourage individuals who want to be car guards to register. There is no obligation for anyone to accept their service. I would rather tip a car guard who helps me unload groceries than give the same money to the same poor person with no other means for support for doing nothing.
I agree with this suggestion. I have a photo of car guards in front of a Spar in PE wearing a overall with the following words – “Spar – Helping Hand – NO TIPS Please ” is it not possible for our Spar to get these aprons for the designated helpers?
The Car guards are all known drug users.I have also been informed about 3 theft out of motor vehicle cases involving the Car guards.Yes by the so called people who are meant to take care of your motor vehicle.Suggestions where made that SPAR should employ them.WHY? Spar already employs a security guard and most of his day is taken up by protecting shoppers and cars from the so called Car guards.Encouraging the Car guards by tippi g them is only feeding there drug habit.I have personally employed some of these Car guards but work is not what they want.Free handouts is much easier.
Before one of our Senior citizens is hit over the head and groceries snatched, let’s please stop tipping them.
I believe that Spar should employ 3 or 4 assistants who would provide at least a presence in the parking area to discourage would-be thieves etc. and they should be clothed in Spar uniforms, after all most cars are parked there to shop at Spar and on numerous occasions an altercation with one of these imposters has ruined what could have been a pleasant shopping excursion. I have also found the shocking condition of the surface of the parking area has made it almost impossible to push a heavily loaded cart to ones vehicle and here these assistants could make life easier. Perhaps Spar should be requested to do something about the surface condition of that area as it’s a disgrace.
The Car guards are all known drug users.I have also been informed about 3 theft out of motor vehicle cases involving the Car guards.Yes by the so called people who are meant to take care of your motor vehicle.Suggestions where made that SPAR should employ them.WHY? Spar already employs a security guard and most of his day is taken up by protecting shoppers and cars from the so called Car guards.Encouraging the Car guards by tippi g them is only feeding there drug habit.I have personally employed some of these Car guards but work is not what they want.Free handouts is much easier.
Before one of our Senior citizens is hit over the head and groceries snatched, let’s please stop tipping them.