Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s crime prevention wardens, also known as amaPanyaza, now have the same legal status as Gauteng provincial traffic officers, according to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola.
According to his spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, despite being legally designated as traffic officers, they could still fight crime as law enforcement officers, but their powers were limited in comparison to the SA Police Services.
Lamola provided an update on the status of the 6,000 crime prevention wardens established in February by Lesufi and Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko.
The crime prevention officers were trained for three months at a farm in Cullinan, and they recently made headlines for crashing over 22 BMW vehicles that they were given.
“Following a thorough examination of the applicable legal frameworks, it was determined that the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens must assume the same legal status as Gauteng Provincial Traffic Officers in order to exercise peace officer powers.”
“Provincial traffic officers currently carry out their duties within the ambit of their peace officer designation, supported by the necessary legal framework,” Phiri said in a brief update on Tuesday.
The Gauteng Government had written to Lamola in June, requesting that the minister designate the Crime Prevention Wardens as peace officers in accordance with Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1997.
Phiri explained that the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services has the authority under Section 334(1)(a) to confer peace officer status on any person by virtue of their office, to exercise power under the Criminal Procedure Act, to commit any offence, or any designated class of offenses.
Phiri stated that Lamola had discussed the matter with Premier Lesufi and Police Minister Bheki Cele.
“The government is determined to take every possible measure to prevent crime and safeguard the well-being of our neighbourhoods,” the prime minister said.
The Gauteng police top management issued a directive this week prohibiting community wardens from performing any police duties at police stations.
This followed reports that the amaPanyaza were certifying documents and performing peace officer duties at some locations.
Lesufi had also been at odds with Lamola and Cele over the issue, publicly threatening the minister’s job if the crime prevention officers were not given the recognition they deserved.
“We’ve trained these young people to be police officers; as a minister, you’re failing to recognize them.” Lesufi said in the video, “Your days are numbered.”
“We can’t do it while young people are helping us fight crime and you undermine them.” You can’t, when we’ve trained young people to patrol the streets of our townships at night to protect young people studying in our schools, and you don’t want to recognize them,” he said.
It is unknown whether or not the amaPanyaza will now be given firearms and how they will be integrated.
“We welcome this announcement, which finally clarifies the status of the Crime Prevention Wardens.” This announcement confirms what we’ve been saying all along: the CPWs are a legal, well-equipped provincial law enforcement body that works with other law enforcement agencies in the province. “They work under the supervision of other law enforcement agencies, such as Gauteng Traffic and local authorities,” Lesufi explained.