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Crime Prevention Wardens attending an event.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has described the Crime Prevention Wardens Programme, which Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi launched in 2023, as an election ploy.
The party plans to table a motion of no confidence in Lesufi.
Last week, the Public Protector released a report which found that the establishment, appointment and deployment of the wardens, also known as Amapanyaza, was in fact irregular and unlawful.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, Crezane Bosch says, “This programme was unfunded, it was unbudgeted for when Premier Lesufi started the programme in Gauteng, and it was poorly planned. If you look at the national crime stats, Gauteng remains the epicentre of crime in the country. And the only way that you can truly address crime is if you start with the basics and get it right – like the infrastructure, making sure that there’s proper resources and the money that was spent on this project could have been utilised in a much better way, assisting police stations to upgrade the stations and provide resources to them. “
Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) release a report into allegations of irregular establishment, appointment and deployment of Crime Prevention Wardens (CPW).
Read full report here: pic.twitter.com/uSG7h1mRuf
— Public Protector South Africa (@PublicProtector) October 22, 2025
VIDEO| DA says Panyaza Lesufi should not remain in office as Gauteng Premier:
Last week, Lesufi said traffic wardens will undergo a phased training to be designated the same legal standing as the Gauteng Traffic Police.
He gave an update at a media briefing in Johannesburg on his administration’s efforts to consolidate the capacity of the province’s traffic wardens and to reinforce their contribution to community safety.
Panyaza emphasised that wardens are trained in line with the National Road Traffic Act, and not the South African Police Service Act.
