‘No weekends, no public holidays’: Chris Hani guards speak out

Security guards employed by the Chris Hani District Municipality at various sites across the district say they have been working seven days a week since 1 August 2026 without a single day off.

The guards, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said they have had no weekends, no public holidays and no shift rotation since they started.

“Those who work night shift have been on night shift for more than a month and those working day shift have also been working since their employment date,” one guard told Kimani News.

Guards interviewed across the district all raised the same complaint – they are understaffed and exploited, with no relievers to allow them time off.

“The number of security guards that were employed is far lower than the securities that used to work at the sites. We are working and there are no relievers for us,” said another.

“This is against the law. We are not supposed to work for more than a month without a single day off. We have no weekends and no public holidays. All we want is to be treated right and not be treated like slaves,” said another guard.

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act prohibits employees from working more than 45 hours per week without overtime agreements and requires weekly rest periods.

Responding to queries, Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson Dr Sandiso Tyembile said the municipality as an employer was not aware of the complaints.

“Since the beginning of new security guards contracts, there hasn’t been any formal complaints lodged by security guards. Based on the contracts signed and other guidelines, the municipality believes all is right as a trivet,” Tyembile said.

He added that the municipality is engaged on other related matters, “working relentlessly to ensure the good working conditions are maintained or further improved.”