Car guards exploited at the major shopping centres

Ernest Waner, Brakpan

They in turn hope what they receive from us as tips to cover the R50 plus what they make for the shift. It used to be per day, but under the shopping centres’ watch, the organisers of the parking lots are now running two shifts – one till 15:00 and then another into the night – all in cash and an abusive act against poor, mostly immigrant people who are just too happy to do this work.

What I find alarming is that the patrons of the shopping centres are (seemingly) unaware and don’t know that the guards have to pay in advance for the use of the cap and jacket which identifies them as car guards.

It is a smokescreen intended to provide a sense of security by dressing them in a uniform so that you assume this is organised by the shopping centre.

It started when some smart Aleck at the local supermarket, saw that by having permission from the owner of the supermarket, to get somebody to watch the cars, there was an opportunity for him to give the owner say R50 per day and he could charge each man or woman R50 per day and walk away with R150 for doing nothing.

Problem is that with the growth of the large shopping centres, some companies saw the opportunity to make big bucks on the backs of these poor human beings, by relying on our generosity.

Why I mention this issue, is because many of the shopping centres where this injustice takes place, are owned by Jewish businesses and this is against tikkun olam – creating a better world for all.

Everyone is entitled to make a buck, but we were slaves in Egypt and I equate this with slavery and extortion.