South Africa’s R40bn private security industry under threat
At 06:00 on an autumn morning in 2016 Andre Rushin, an armed response officer for Secupro Armed Response in Mitchells Plain, responded to a shooting in Portlands, a quiet part of the suburb. He arrived on Barbados Road, the road he grew up on, to find the local pastor, a friend of his, lying on the pavement bleeding from three gunshot wounds to his legs.
“Two suspects broke into his vehicle, took his tape, CD player and they took off and he followed them,” said Rushin, “He was shouting for help from neighbours, the [suspects] were on the other side of the railway line and as he crossed the line [one of the suspects] shot him. Three shots in the legs.
“He managed to get himself home and from there he was taken to hospital,” he continues dispassionately. “That was my start to the morning. Other than that it was just normal routine work.”
