Swakopmund – Five security guards employed by the Big Five Security Services company in Swakopmund were supplied with a cutback just days after the Ministry of Labor asked for intervention.
They wanted the ministry to force employers to enforce new minimum wages in the security sector.
Some earn just as little as n $6.66 per hour.
The security guards approached the Labor Bureau on April 1, 2025 and requested mediation for what they called dangerous working conditions, long hours and what they called salaries below the legally defined minimum wage. However, their decent living wage attempts seem to have led them to receive letters of cuts via WhatsApp.
The minimum wage for security guards, which is valid from January 1, 2025, is $13.50 per hour.
It is expected to increase to $16 per hour in 2026 and to $18 per hour in 2027.
Nevertheless, the salaries seen in the new era show that some security guards earn less than $80 N per day, often earning 31 consecutive days without compensation for overtime leave.
Their monthly salary reportedly ranges from N$2300 to N$3100.
“We were told that others were willing to work less,” one security guard insisted.
One of the affected employees, Ricardo Jackson, has been with the company for seven years. He said they approached the Ministry of Labor several times but were continuously told to return to the next day.
“This is the third time we’ve been to the ministry. It was the first time on April 1. After my boss was called, I was told to come back on April 9. A worker official showed up late.
He claimed that the Labor Inspector advised them to return the uniforms in the meantime.
“How could he advise us about the uniform while he had done nothing about our true concerns?” he asked.
Jackson, who protects a remote area near Dune 7, recounted the incident that he was physically attacked while on duty.
“After the attack in 2022, my boss dropped me at the MTC Tower and told me to go to the clinic. I’m back with my arm and stab wounds and keep guarding. We don’t even have weapons. We put our lives at risk just to support our families,” he accused.
Another worker, Kapumburu Kakoma, joined the company in December 2020. He said they are grossly low pay due to the dangerous nature of the job.
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Material delay
Petres Gowaseb, who joined the company in 2024, has raised concerns between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund about the delays in the province and the costs of repeated trips.
“We wanted to explain the minimum wage to our employers, so we agreed to our salary in the presence of the ministry. I received 6.66 n $6.66 per hour to stand in the cold without weapons to protect myself. That made me fearful for my life.
He resides in Walvis Bay and added that he has traveled three times to the offices of the Swakopmund province, but to no avail.
“We were traveling with three people from Swakopmund and spent a total of 900 n$900 without assistance. Imagine winning n$2,300 and spending n$400 on transport just to get fired,” he lamented.
When contacted for comment, a representative of Big Five Security Services, identified only as Petrus Derk, told Newair he would not comment on the questions sent to him. “There are no comments on the above… Please don’t contact me,” he replied.
This issue has been reported to the Ministry of Labor. -edeklerk@nepc.com.na
