AmaPanyaza established without any legal mandate - Public protector report

A report by the public protector has determined that the Gauteng crime prevention wardens were established without any legal mandate and should not have been deployed to do any policing work.

The report was released on Wednesday, a few hours after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced there would be a phased disbandment of the unit. 

During a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Lesufi announced that the 8,800 wardens would undergo training as Gauteng traffic police officers.

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The public protector’s report said that after the Gauteng crime prevention wardens were formed in 2023, the then-MEC for community safety, Faith Mazibuko, made an application to the justice minister for them to be officially recognised as peace officers.

However, this application was rejected, as the justice ministry found there was no legal mandate for the establishment of the unit.

The report said there was currently no legislation that empowered the provincial government to perform any policing duties.

Following the rejection, the justice ministry and the Gauteng government reached an agreement in which the wardens would be recognised as provincial traffic officers.

The public protector said, despite that, the wardens were still deployed to police operations like Operation Shanela, which constituted impropriety and maladministration by the Gauteng government.