Beggars are not car guards
Beggars who pose as car guards in Swakopmund have become a thorn in the flesh of residents and registered guards alike.
Registered car guards employed by companies in Swakopmund have complained about interlopers stealing their customers and ruining their image.
The police and the municipal traffic department agree, saying the self-appointed guards are often drunk and beg for money.
Registered car guards interviewed by Nampa in the town centre complained that some drivers did not treat them with respect and thought they were beggars and suspicious.
“Some people think we are chance takers and desperate for money. We are working like everyone else, with the good intention to protect,” said Carel Nambahu from CarWatch Services. Nambahu, 30, has been working on and off as a car guard since 2011. He has other part-time jobs, such as cooking. Depending on the tips he receives, which range from N$1 to N$10, he makes about N$100 per day watching people's cars.
Another member of CarWatch is 42-year-old Matheus Nahanga, who was employed as a petrol attendant before his contract ended last month.
“I love to protect and keep peace, that is why I join my fellow Namibians here to ensure car safety,” said Nahanga, adding that they did not confront thieves but worked closely with the police. NamPol's station commander at Swakopmund, Inspector Moses Aebeb, told Nampa that unregistered car guards were a nuisance.
“Honestly, I am not happy with the whole car guarding [issue] because of intruders, but we are working on getting rid of them so that legal ones can work freely.”
He said car break-ins had decreased in areas where car guards were on duty, such as the town centre, at Pick n Pay and the Woermann Brock Mall.
Enears Andreas (24) was running around and directing vehicles to parking bays in the town centre when Nampa approached him for comment.
“I do not have money for you today but you can watch my car,” an elderly woman told him.
Andreas, a member of CarWatch, said he had no qualifications and had been a car guard for about two years.
'I have family to support back home in the village and here. I pay school fees, electricity and buy bread with this money,” Andreas said before running to assist another driver.
The manager of traffic services at the Swakopmund municipality, Melvin Cloete, said the three companies registered with the council employed about 120 car guards.
They are CarWatch (65 guards), Car Guard (29 guards), and Namibian Car Watch (25 guards).
Their guards wear red, blue or orange reflector jackets that are branded with company names and logos.
Cloete said illegal guards were unhygienic, mostly drunk and disturbed tourists and residents by begging for money. “I request the public and our visitors to stop giving tips to these people. They sometimes wear green reflectors but these are not branded.”
He advised drivers to look for guards wearing branded reflector jackets and to ask for membership cards to make sure car guards are legal. Johannes Matheus, who owns Namibian Car Watch, told Nampa that he dealt with illegal car guards by asking his guards to not allow them into their space.
“I tell my guards to chase them away whenever they see them. I also make it clear that if one allows their space to be occupied, they lose the job.” Isai Nangombe, the manager of Car Guard, said the intruders started fights when asked to leave.
“They have weapons and are fighting us when we tell them to leave. This is not safe, we cannot continue fighting like this and I hope a solution will be found.”
Junias Shiyamba, who is in charge of CarWatch, told Nampa that he had created a platform for people to earn a living. “I do not get money from them, I just help them to survive. Life is expensive and jobs are difficult to get if you are not educated. Without money you cannot survive.”
He said the guards contributed N$5 a month to the company, which was saved and used to pay their Social Security contributions and buy branded reflector jackets. Other car-guard companies operated on the same principle.
“We also give N$500 to any of them whose parent has died or to their family when a guard member passes on.”
Shiyamba said his guards worked shifts to ensure that they all get an opportunity to earn a living, as the parking bays in Swakopmund were limited.
NAMPA
The police and the municipal traffic department agree, saying the self-appointed guards are often drunk and beg for money.
Registered car guards interviewed by Nampa in the town centre complained that some drivers did not treat them with respect and thought they were beggars and suspicious.
“Some people think we are chance takers and desperate for money. We are working like everyone else, with the good intention to protect,” said Carel Nambahu from CarWatch Services. Nambahu, 30, has been working on and off as a car guard since 2011. He has other part-time jobs, such as cooking. Depending on the tips he receives, which range from N$1 to N$10, he makes about N$100 per day watching people's cars.
Another member of CarWatch is 42-year-old Matheus Nahanga, who was employed as a petrol attendant before his contract ended last month.
“I love to protect and keep peace, that is why I join my fellow Namibians here to ensure car safety,” said Nahanga, adding that they did not confront thieves but worked closely with the police. NamPol's station commander at Swakopmund, Inspector Moses Aebeb, told Nampa that unregistered car guards were a nuisance.
“Honestly, I am not happy with the whole car guarding [issue] because of intruders, but we are working on getting rid of them so that legal ones can work freely.”
He said car break-ins had decreased in areas where car guards were on duty, such as the town centre, at Pick n Pay and the Woermann Brock Mall.
Enears Andreas (24) was running around and directing vehicles to parking bays in the town centre when Nampa approached him for comment.
“I do not have money for you today but you can watch my car,” an elderly woman told him.
Andreas, a member of CarWatch, said he had no qualifications and had been a car guard for about two years.
'I have family to support back home in the village and here. I pay school fees, electricity and buy bread with this money,” Andreas said before running to assist another driver.
The manager of traffic services at the Swakopmund municipality, Melvin Cloete, said the three companies registered with the council employed about 120 car guards.
They are CarWatch (65 guards), Car Guard (29 guards), and Namibian Car Watch (25 guards).
Their guards wear red, blue or orange reflector jackets that are branded with company names and logos.
Cloete said illegal guards were unhygienic, mostly drunk and disturbed tourists and residents by begging for money. “I request the public and our visitors to stop giving tips to these people. They sometimes wear green reflectors but these are not branded.”
He advised drivers to look for guards wearing branded reflector jackets and to ask for membership cards to make sure car guards are legal. Johannes Matheus, who owns Namibian Car Watch, told Nampa that he dealt with illegal car guards by asking his guards to not allow them into their space.
“I tell my guards to chase them away whenever they see them. I also make it clear that if one allows their space to be occupied, they lose the job.” Isai Nangombe, the manager of Car Guard, said the intruders started fights when asked to leave.
“They have weapons and are fighting us when we tell them to leave. This is not safe, we cannot continue fighting like this and I hope a solution will be found.”
Junias Shiyamba, who is in charge of CarWatch, told Nampa that he had created a platform for people to earn a living. “I do not get money from them, I just help them to survive. Life is expensive and jobs are difficult to get if you are not educated. Without money you cannot survive.”
He said the guards contributed N$5 a month to the company, which was saved and used to pay their Social Security contributions and buy branded reflector jackets. Other car-guard companies operated on the same principle.
“We also give N$500 to any of them whose parent has died or to their family when a guard member passes on.”
Shiyamba said his guards worked shifts to ensure that they all get an opportunity to earn a living, as the parking bays in Swakopmund were limited.
NAMPA
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