Gauteng to have glut of traffic wardens after Lesufi pulls plug on AmaPanyaza - Mark Heywood

Just hours after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the phased disbandment of AmaPanyaza, a report by the public protector found that the unit had been established without any legal mandate.

Formed in 2023, the Gauteng unit's crime prevention wardens were tasked with helping to combat crime in Gauteng.

Lesufi said the wardens would now be reassigned and retrained as traffic officers.

ActionSA has called the disbandment a "recognition of failure and a stark demonstration of mismanagement in the province’s approach to public safety".

Mark Heywood, editor of Maverick Citizen at Daily Maverick, said the report affirmed what many people have been saying for some time.

"Premier Lesufi had decided that this was the way to fight crime, despite ample advice that it wasn't the best way to go about it."

Despite Lesufi putting over R2 billion of the province's budget behind the unit, Heywood said its wardens were poorly and too rapidly trained.

"All of this was going on, but all of this was taking place without any legal basis."

Thereport, released on Wednesday, said there was currently no legislation that empowered the provincial government to perform any policing duties.

Heywood said the report by the public protector, which he refered to as "narrow", raised many questions.

"He now has a problem on his hands, which is that he has to take 6,000 wardens and convert them into traffic wardens."

Gauteng is about to have a "glut" of traffic wardens, noted Heywood.

To listen to Heywood in conversation with 702's Ray White, use the audio player below: