Note to the Editors : English soundbite by Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Gauteng Leader for the Official Opposition
The Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s announcement that the Crime Prevention Wardens, known as “Amapanyaza”, will be disbanded for them to undergo training to become fully fledged Traffic Officers vindicates the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) numerous warnings that Amapanyaza are not adequately trained, resourced, and do not meet the criteria to be peace officers.
The disbandment is said to take place in what he describes as a phased approach over the next 36 months. The DA demands clarity on whether the so-called training will be accredited and acknowledged by new potential entities, and the source of funding for the training.
The DA is not surprised by his U-turn because we have consistently warned that Amapanyaza was a political gimmick to enhance the ANC’s chances in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. We have consistently raised concerns about this programme being an unfunded mandate likely to deprive service delivery in other departments.
However, in his typically arrogant style, Premier Lesufi dismissed all these sensible concerns in pursuit of political gain and preying on the vulnerability of many job-seeking individuals in our province. At one point, he misled the residents of Gauteng by claiming that over 6,000 trained Amapanyaza were permanently employed. He later backtracked and stated that for the Amapanyaza to be permanently employed, they would first need to undergo further training to qualify as peace officers.
The abrupt disbandment confirms what we have always known and warned about; the programme was poorly planned, lacked a budget and had no intention to empower these innocent men and women into becoming peace officers, but used them to achieve the end goal of publicity and political mileage. Sadly, the lies have short legs and have finally caught up with Lesufi, pushing him to reconsider this ill-thought-out decision.
The DA demands that Premier Lesufi clarify with haste the roll out of this programme, how the training will take place and the source of funding for the retraining. We will be tabling written questions to the Premier through the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). The residents of Gauteng deserve transparency from this provincial government.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have replicated the LEAP programme in the Western Cape, which has seen huge inroads in reducing crime. This programme would have been implemented as part of the provincial crime prevention strategy and peace officers employed to fight crime. We would ensure that these officers are present where they are needed most in our communities, rather than used as a personal squad for a premier.