'AmaPanyaza' wardens to be phased out and retrained

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‘AmaPanyaza’ wardens to be phased out and retrained

Zuko Komisa

Gauteng’s controversial Crime Prevention Wardens (‘AmaPanyaza’) programme will be phased out and members retrained as provincial traffic officers.
The 2023 initiative was plagued by concerns from police experts over the wardens’ lack of adequate training and questionable mandate.
Wardens who do not qualify for traffic duties will be redirected to municipal by-law enforcement and government security services after receiving requisite training.

The Gauteng government is set to disband its contentious Crime Prevention Wardens programme, widely known as AmaPanyaza, to allow the members to be retrained as provincial traffic officers.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the move at a media briefing on Wednesday, confirming the disbandment would be carried out in phases rather than immediately.

The wardens were first introduced in 2023 but have been plagued by controversy from the outset. Police experts repeatedly voiced deep concerns over their inadequate training and their fitness to tackle serious crime.

Although former justice minister Ronald Lamola officially designated the unit’s members as peace officers last year, doubts about the programme’s legitimacy have persisted.

Premier Lesufi emphasised that the provincial government remains committed to utilising the wardens, stating that the action is intended to “eliminate areas of deep concern, which are their training, mandate and qualifications.”

For wardens who do not qualify for the traffic officer training, the Premier explained they will be assigned to municipalities for by-law enforcement and to provide security services for government departments, but only after receiving the “necessary training.”