Watch: Man hires ‘private army’ to escort him to a tender meeting [video]

An unidentified businessman arrived at a government tender briefing in KwaZulu-Natal flanked by heavily armed private security guards in military uniform.

Little is known about the man or his exact purpose at the Endumeni Municipality buildings in Dundee, but some media outlets have reasoned that his extensive protection detail is due to the ongoing political violence in the region.

In the amateur video, captured by bystanders within the building, the man can be seen heading towards the meeting location, where he is rumoured to discuss details pertaining to a lucrative government tender deal. While details about the man remain shrouded in mystery, his open use of a ‘private army’ to guard him has elicited various responses from social media user.

This gentleman is attending a tender briefing at Endumeni Municipality in Dundee.???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Bvzxo7E9mE

— Mlacash (@andile_mlacash) October 3, 2018

Some members of the public find the ordeal wholly humorous and entertaining, while others bemoan the fact that political killings have forced businessmen and politicians to guard themselves with ‘private armies’. Some have questioned the legality of hiring private security which brandishes automatic rifles in public.

Government tenders

Tenderpreneur is a uniquely South African buzzword that is used to describe a person in government or private sector who manages to obtain government work contracts to facilitate outsourced services.

These tenders are notoriously lucrative for persons or organisations who manage to win bids to provide certain services.

There is, however, a dark side to government tenders which revolve around nepotism and corruption. The Gupta scandal is a prime example of how government tenders can be used to loot state funds while flouting responsibility to service delivery.

The term ‘tenderpreneur’ has a generally negative connotation. It’s been described as:

“someone politically well-connected who has got rich through the government tendering system”

While it’s unclear whether the man in the video is, in fact, a tenderpreneur or not; sources close to the matter confirm that his appointment at the municipal buildings involved a tender bid. With the profitability of such bids well noted, he may have had good reason to hire a powerful security team.

Political killings in KwaZulu-Natal

The political landscape in KwaZulu-Natal is fraught with violence and murder. In fact, a recent article published by The New York Times describes the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as a political mafia-type organisation, responsible for the killing of its own members in the region.

Up to 90 prominent political figures have been murdered due to their position on corruption and bad behaviour within the ANC. According to a study from the University of Cape Town, 80 of those killings took place in KwaZulu-Natal.

Former Mayor of Endumeni, Siboniso Mbatha, was arrested four months ago for allegedly plotting to kill the Endumeni municipal speaker.

The man flanked by heavy security in the video is heading to a meeting in the Endumeni municipal buildings. While it’s just speculation at this stage, the violent political climate in the area may also be a valid reason for the man’s strong security regiment.