Public Protector Finds AmaPanyaza Deployed Illegally
image: Defense Web
AmaPanyaza face shake-up after Public Protector’s ruling on illegal deployment
by Kelebogile Matlou
Kholeka Gcaleka, the Public Protector, announced that the deployment of Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, also known as AmaPanyaza, was unlawful. The findings were made public in her most recent report, which came shortly after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced that the wardens would be eliminated and retrained as provincial traffic officers.
Lesufi made the announcement during a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, explaining that the disbandment would take place gradually rather than immediately. The move follows continuous confusion about the wardens’ legal status and the extent of their duties, which first developed in 2023.
In her report, Gcaleka urged the Minister of Police to take corrective action within 30 days and to collaborate with the Gauteng Provincial Government to ensure that the wardens follow the law when they transition to traffic cops. She also urged the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety to implement measures to avoid delays in the appointment and retention of wardens in their new roles within the same timeframe.
The head of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety has been given 60 days to guarantee that the department’s traffic officers are properly educated and legally trained. Qualified legal practitioners should lead the training to increase officers’ understanding of the law and their capacity to conduct their duties efficiently.
During the media briefing, Premier Lesufi defended the AmaPanyaza project, claiming that it was designed to help police by increasing visibility in communities and allowing law enforcement to focus on major crimes. Despite continued legal criticism, he maintained that the wardens played an important role in enhancing community policing and building public trust.
The Public Protector’s report comes after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told Parliament’s ad hoc committee two weeks ago that he had expressed concerns about the wardens’ legality during a police board meeting. Mkhwanazi said that, while Lesufi’s intentions were good, AmaPanyaza should not be legally recognized.
Lesufi responded to by saying that the deployment of traffic wardens was done in accordance with the law and was intended to encourage professionalism and responsibility. He stated that the wardens’ temporary legal status was the same as that of Gauteng traffic officers while they completed their training.
“As a support unit, the Gauteng traffic wardens are designed to strengthen the efforts of existing law enforcement authorities,” Lesufi said.
