Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro Little by little, the chill seems to be dissipating. Very much to the delight of the wretched of the earth of our country, I guess. Street children, the homeless and the destitute, the list is endless. This is not to say that the blankets still making their way to them at this almost belated hour of our winter time are not welcome. As late as this act of generosity and care may be, one just wonders how the would-be benefactors may have been bracing the icy spells that a part of June brought along. Strangely, one must add to this list what seems to be one of the least appreciated groups, the private security corps. The harsh conditions this group endures have been told time and time again, without much improvement. These range from their pitiful payment (N$175-N$1,200 per month) to the risk attached to their trade when they are sometimes expected to guard premises without any means of defence and shelter. Maybe by the nature of their trade perhaps, they may not enjoy any comfort lest this may affect their visibility and alertness. Granted! However, I don’t think we should confuse comfort with a conducive environment in which they can perform their duties effectively and efficiently. Looking at the conditions under which most of these security women and men work, they do not come anything close to a conducive environment. On the contrary, they represent their personal abuse and a violation of their human rights. Not only in terms of their payment packages but also as far as the conditions under which they work are concerned. Cold as it can get this time of the year, some of these security women and men work from the open air without any shelter or enclosure, condemned to their own devices of digging out trenches, holes, hideouts and what-have-you on the premises they are guarding to shield away the biting chill, which becomes extremely unfriendly at night. Such corners are few and far between, which means that for a greater part they are exposed to this cold which at night can get to near zero. Few if not all of these security companies seem to bother. Cubicles seen at the houses of the political principals for use by their equally hard-off public counterparts, are a rarity in the private sector. As are special allowances for winter clothes in view of the fact that few of these security women and men can afford these clothes with their pitiful payment that hardly can meet their basics. Most disheartening is that these abuses take place in full view of companies who never lose public opportunities to parade as responsible corporate entities by dishing out money right, left and centre presumably for worthy causes. It seems the saying charity begins at home is Greek to these companies. One wonders if such companies are true to their public image of corporate responsibility, how they can allow these security companies they hire to treat their employees in the way they do? The ready answer may be that their concern is the well-being of the companies first, and fat cats second. Then only do they look beyond. In this beyond the security guards can only dream of ever featuring in their scheme of things. Not when they have to compete with some fashionable good causes. That security is necessary to the well-being of these companies does not even seem to register in the sub-consciousness of these bigwigs. I am sure it is not asking too much of them that company bosses pay due regard to the security companies they hire as far as the treatment of their employees is concerned. I am not aware of any special law under which such security companies operate. However, I am sure the Labour Act also applies to them. If only as far as the conditions of employment, which include payment, and the health, safety and welfare of the employees are concerned. More, Namibia is a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and certainly must have certain obligations towards its convention and as a corollary all Namibian employers. It is necessary to remember that a good deal of these security companies have absorbed former fighters. Here we at least have people who are prepared to eke out a living, somehow. However, if we allow them to be subjected to the conditions as currently, then we are failing in our duty to help them to be self-reliant. Not only that, but we are also forcing them to somehow join the swelling ranks of the unemployed. The possible outcome is there for all to see, telling from what has been happening lately if the demands of the ex-fighters are anything to go by.