The private security company, ZoneWatch, has confirmed that one of its officers implicated in an alleged assault, that took place in the Plattekloof region, has been dismissed.  

The owner of ZoneWatch Security, Thomas Blatherwick, confirmed in a statement that the man was fired with “immediate effect”.  

“We can confirm that the security officer that assaulted the member of the public has been dismissed with immediate effect,” read the statement.  

Blatherwich went on to say that investigations are still ongoing, adding that his company is working closely with police and the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) in their probes.  

The incident did the rounds on social media last week, showing several private security officials kicking, stomping and hitting a man on the corners of Plattekloof Road and Rothschild Boulevard. 

READ MORE: Private security officers suspended, after alleged assault caught on camera – Smile 90.4FM

He added that medical and incident reports of the implicated officers have been handed to the police as part of their investigation.  

Further to this, Blatherwick claims that rumours that the incident took place after one of them was attacked (and an attempt was made to take his firearm) have been “confirmed”. 

“The attack on the officer was confirmed in a statement released on social media earlier this week by another security company.” 

Meanwhile, he acknowledged that he did not condone the conduct of the security officers in the video, adding that operational procedures are being subjected to an internal review.  

“We recognise that trust is earned through actions, and we are committed to demonstrating that through the steps we are taking.” 

Blatherwick further advised that the other implicated officials remain suspended pending the outcome of the investigations. 

He also expressed concern about the staff of ZoneWatch Security, who he said have received threats. 

“We again appeal to members of the public to allow due process to take its course. We are concerned about threats directed at our staff and operations and urge that this matter be handled responsibly and within the law,” said Blatherwick. 

By the time of publication, the Western Cape SAPS media office had not responded to queries on whether any arrests had been made yet and whether they had since interviewed the victim in the incident. In their initial statement on 8 April about the incident, Colonel Andrè Traut advised that the “victim has not yet been interviewed as part of the investigation”.