From The New Yorker · The New Yorker · · 1m 30s
Inside Johannesburg's private security world
A documentary follows armed guards patrolling wealthy enclaves in South Africa, raising questions about who feels safe.
In brief
A documentary follows armed guards patrolling wealthy enclaves in South Africa, raising questions about who feels safe. Tuva Björk's documentary examines private security in Johannesburg, where nearly three million South Africans work in the industry, revealing tensions between armed guards and residents seeking…
A security officer's arsenal
Tuva Björk's documentary opens with a private-security officer proudly listing weapons he carries: a metal bar for breaking eye sockets, a worn knuckle-duster on his key ring, a wiry strip that draws blood like a whip, and a firearm his partner carries.
“draws blood and works like a whip”
Three million guards in South Africa
Private-security work is big business in Johannesburg. Of the sixty-three million people who live in South Africa, almost three million work in private security, guarding residential areas and patrolling some public spaces.
Safety behind spikes and razor wire
One security officer describes how residents can gather on a ridge in a safe place to enjoy conversations. He stands armed and wearing a face covering in front of a fence topped with spikes and razor wire.
“Residents can just come on top of the ridge in a safe place, and then they can enjoy their conversations”
An encounter on the mountain
One night on the ridge, security guards encounter locals who have come up the mountain to pray, singing and swaying around a fire. The two groups' interaction raises a fundamental question about safety.
Who gets to feel truly safe
The documentary explores how people achieve the feeling of security and who gets to feel truly safe in Johannesburg's divided landscape of armed guards, fences, and competing claims to public space.
The essence
Tuva Björk's documentary examines private security in Johannesburg, where nearly three million South Africans work in the industry, revealing tensions between armed guards and residents seeking safety.
