Safeguard, US embassy at loggerheads over contract termination

Political Reporter

Safeguard Security’s attempts to block Peace Security owned by Abel Mubango to offer security services to the United States Embassy in Harare has hit a brick wall.

A contact at Safeguard revealed that Safeguard CEO, Andrew Mallon received a memorandum stating that his company contract was due to expire on the 1st  of August 2022, and that a new local company identified as Peace Security would be taking up the contract going forward.

Mr Mallon is reported to have engaged the US State Department for reconsideration without the knowledge of the US embassy in Zimbabwe.

“Mr Mallon was informed through a memorandum that our company contract of providing security services at the US Embassy will lapse on 1 August 2022.  He responded by travelling to the United States to argue his case for reinstatement with the US State Department.

“He pleaded that the US embassy should not terminate his contract in favour of Peace Security, whose owner Mr Abel Mubango is a ZANU PF supporter. He also presented that for the past 40 years, Safeguard invested a heavy amount of personnel specifically for US embassy,” said the source.

Source added: “The State Department declined to reconsider stating that Mr Mubango had declared his political affiliation unlike Mr Mallon who had not declared.

According to the source, the US Embassy in Harare registered its displeasure at how Mallon dealt with the cancellation of his company contract, and threatened to take unspecified measures against his actions.

“Upon Mr Mallon’s return to Zimbabwe, he held a meeting with the US embassy who later expressed their displeasure on the tactics Safeguard had employed regarding the security deal. The US embassy also said they would use their influence to make sure that Mr Mallon would lose other security contracts at the Western embassies.

Meanwhile, an attack on Peace Security by Mallon is one of the many examples that local companies owned by local black people are subjected to by some rogue white owned organisations. Peace security is a professional security company certified by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe. The company has also won IPMZ/EMCOZ 2012/13 and Employer of choice Award the Services Sector as well as the National Annual Quality Awards.