South Africa's Public Protector has ruled that the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens programme was established without legal authority, leading to maladministration. The report criticizes the recruitment of 6,000 wardens and their involvement in over 51,000 police operations. Premier Panyaza Lesufi plans a 36-month phase-out to retrain them as traffic wardens, but the EFF demands immediate dissolution.
The Public Protector's office released a report on October 22, 2025, investigating allegations of irregularities in the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens (CPW), also known as Amapanyaza, an initiative spearheaded by Premier Panyaza Lesufi. Prompted by a complaint from Advocate Paul Hoffman, the probe found that the Gauteng Department of Community Safety proceeded without an empowering legal framework, resulting in maladministration. Specifically, the recruitment and deployment of 6,000 CPWs lacked supporting legislation, violating constitutional provisions and the rule of law.
Despite this, the wardens participated in more than 51,000 police operations, including arrests and searches, between May and September 2023. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development rejected a bid to designate them as peace officers due to the absence of legal backing.
The report recommends corrective action within 180 days, including lawful appointment of CPWs as traffic wardens under the National Road Traffic Act, improved training, and compliance measures. The Premier and stakeholders must submit an action plan within 30 days, emphasizing adherence to the rule of law and cooperative governance.
In response, Premier Lesufi announced a phased 36-month disbandment, with wardens undergoing training to gain the same legal standing as Gauteng Traffic Police. However, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng rejected this approach, calling the programme a 'reckless, illegal, and politically motivated experiment' marred by corruption and incompetence. EFF spokesperson Dumisa Baleni stated: “There is no justification for continuing to waste public resources on a failed project that was never meant to exist in the first place. This unit must be dissolved immediately, not over three years, and every cent looted under its name must be accounted for.”
The EFF has long criticized the programme's illegitimacy, urging full accountability for misused funds.