A WhatsApp message advertising more than 100 jobs for white men with military training had social media buzzing on Friday and there was widespread speculation as to who could employ so many people.
The same ad also advertises jobs for people who can man a control room, dog handlers, helicopter pilots and drone operators.
Lionel Engels of the Jatss company says there is nothing funny, illegal or militaristic about the ad.
Jatts is independent of the security company and supplies drones and other technology to the security industry.
Engels says more than 2,000 people have already applied for the posts by Friday afternoon, the response has been overwhelming. Jatss helps with recruitment and processes the new applications.
“This is not a warfare, it is about rural security.”
Someone bought a bankrupt security company and now wants to provide a proper service to farmers in the North West.
Engels says the company has yet to be registered in the new owner’s name and he does not want to reveal his name for the time being.
“The reason why we ask for men with army training is because we found that the men who were trained as security guards in urban areas do not have the skills to work in the field.
“We need men who can cut tracks in the forest and arrest suspects,” he said.
Engels says the new owner of the company is a man who has a passion for agriculture and he wants to protect all farmers, whether they are white or black, and help them live safely.
For the time being, the company wants to serve a large part of the North West, which includes Ventersdorp, Zeerust, Swartruggens, Coligny, Lichtenburg and Rustenburg.
Naudé Pienaar, deputy general manager of Agri North West, says the organization is concerned about the increasing violence and crime in North West and is prepared to work with any legal, well-organized institution that wants to help make the province safer.
Agri Noordwes said in a media statement on Friday that the advertisement referred to “Agri Noordwes security” and this led to people thinking that this agricultural organization was involved in the recruitment of security guards.
Agri Noordwes was overwhelmed by people who inquired and thought the organization was involved in the WhatsApp message.
Agri Noordwes says he has no connection with the company and that Agri Noordwes is a registered brand that may not be used illegally.
