CLK Joint Operations Group — Participation Terms

1. Purpose and eligibility

The CLK Joint Operations Group supports responsible communication, coordination, and information-sharing among approved operational participants. It does not replace official emergency channels or the command structures of participating organisations.

An applicant must be 18 years of age or older and have a legitimate participating affiliation, such as SAPS, Metro Police, Private Security, CPF, Ambulance/EMS, Fire & Rescue, or another approved organisation.

2. Accuracy, identity and verification

Applicants must provide information that is accurate to the best of their knowledge. Impersonation and material misrepresentation of identity, role, affiliation, qualifications, authority, or purpose are prohibited.

CLK Protection Services (Pty) Ltd may conduct reasonable applicant verification, including contact by phone or WhatsApp, professional or operational networking, or contact with a stated employer or organisation where reasonably necessary. Approval is not automatic, and an application may be declined where eligibility or verification is not satisfactorily established.

3. Nature of approval

Approval permits participation subject to these Terms. It does not create employment, partnership, agency, entitlement to represent CLK, police powers, statutory authority, or authority beyond a participant's actual role and organisation.

4. WhatsApp participation

Approved participants may be invited or added to the CLK Joint Operations WhatsApp group. WhatsApp is a separate third-party platform. Contact and profile information, and content deliberately shared in the group, may be visible according to WhatsApp functionality and user privacy settings.

Participants should review their WhatsApp privacy settings and consider the audience before posting. Group content should be relevant, accurate where represented as fact, and shared only for a proper Joint Operations purpose.

5. Proper use, confidentiality and responsible disclosure

Joint Operations information must be handled responsibly and with regard to privacy, safety, confidentiality, and operational sensitivity. A participant should disclose information only to people who have a legitimate need to receive it, and only to the extent reasonably necessary or permitted by law.

The following are prohibited:

• malicious use, harassment, intimidation, stalking, fraud, identity theft, or unlawful activity;
• unrelated commercial use or marketing;
• harvesting, scraping, compiling, or redistributing participant contact information without a lawful and legitimate basis;
• deliberate disclosure that foreseeably and unjustifiably compromises a person, operation, investigation, or safety; and
• presenting unverified information as confirmed where that may cause harm.

Nothing in these Terms prevents responsible disclosure required or permitted by law, or good-faith reporting to an appropriate authority.

6. Lawful conduct and account security

Participants must act within South African law, their training, their actual organisational authority, and applicable organisational instructions. Participation does not authorise vigilantism, unlawful surveillance, searches, detention, or interference with official operations.

Each participant is responsible for reasonable security of their device, WhatsApp account, screen lock, linked devices, and access credentials. A lost or compromised device/account, or suspected unauthorised group access, should be reported promptly to CLK and dealt with through the relevant platform or organisation.

7. Annual confirmation

Participants may be asked to confirm their information approximately every 12 months. Proposed changes may require review. If confirmation becomes overdue, CLK may attempt contact.

After a reasonable period, ordinarily around 30–60 days without response, the registration may be archived and the participant may be removed from the WhatsApp group. Notification may be sent where reasonably practicable.

8. Suspension, removal and proportionate reporting

Depending on the circumstances, CLK may restrict, suspend, decline, archive, or end participation where there is loss of eligibility; inability to verify affiliation; materially inaccurate information; misuse of information; serious or repeated breach of these Terms; security risk; unlawful conduct; harassment; prolonged confirmation failure; or a reasonable need to protect people, operations, or group integrity.

Steps should be proportionate to the circumstances. These Terms do not give CLK power to punish anyone outside the law, and a breach is not described as automatically criminal.

Where suspected fraud, malicious misuse, serious disclosure, or unlawful conduct reasonably warrants it, CLK may preserve relevant information and make a report to the participant's employer or organisation, police, or another appropriate authority where reasonably necessary and required or permitted by law. Reporting is not automatic; the nature, credibility, seriousness, legal basis, and safety implications may be considered.

9. Leaving the group

A participant may leave the WhatsApp group and request that participation be ended by contacting CLK. Leaving does not require deletion of information that must lawfully be retained for a limited period, and privacy requests are assessed under the Privacy & POPIA Notice and applicable law.

10. Privacy, information use and marketing

The Privacy & POPIA Notice explains collection, processing, sharing, transborder processing, retention, and rights. These Terms do not constitute blanket consent to all processing.

Registration and participant information is not intended for unrelated commercial marketing and must not be used by participants for that purpose.

11. Changes and governing law

CLK may update these Terms as operations, risks, technology, or law change. Reasonable notice will be provided for material changes where practicable or required, and any further agreement or notification required by law will be sought or provided.

These Terms are governed by South African law. Rights and remedies remain subject to applicable law and the jurisdiction of competent South African bodies and courts.

12. Contact