The Democratic Alliance (DA) held an urgent press briefing today to announce our plan to table a motion of no confidence against Premier Panyaza Lesufi for his failed and costly Crime Prevention Wardens programme known as Amapanyaza.
The briefing follows Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s announcement that Amapanyaza will be disbanded for them to undergo training to become fully fledged Traffic Officers. The disbandment is to take place in the so-called phased approach over the next 36 months.
The DA previously cautioned that the Amapanyaza initiative was ill-conceived, poorly implemented, and unsustainable. We warned that the recruits were not adequately trained, insufficiently resourced, and did not meet the legal criteria to serve as peace officers. Premier Lesufi stubbornly chose to ignore these warnings, pressing ahead with a costly programme that has now collapsed under its own weight.
The sudden disbandment vindicates us and confirms what we have always suspected and warned about: the programme was poorly planned, was very costly, and had no genuine intention of empowering these desperate men and women to become peace officers. Instead, it was merely a gimmick to score cheap political points. The programme has been highly criticised because of damages and losses incurred. Some wardens lost their lives. Unfortunately, the truth has finally caught up with Lesufi, forcing him to reconsider this ill-conceived decision.
It was inevitable that the arrogant and goalpost-shifting Premier Lesufi would not have disbanded this unlawful project until he was left with absolutely nowhere to turn. Were it not for the persistent pressure from the DA and the damning remarks by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who confirmed before the Ad-Hoc Committee that the Amapanyaza were unlawful and not sanctioned under the South African Police Service Act, Lesufi would have carried on.
Finally, there is now the revelation by the Public Protector that the establishment, appointing, deploying and allowing Amapanyaza to conduct operations with SAPS without legal authority, was in fact irregular. Lesufi’s actions violated Section 41(1)(f) and (g) of the Constitution, which prohibits government entities from assuming powers not granted to them or encroaching on the functions of another sphere of government. Under Section 206(4) of the Constitution, provincial governments do not have policing powers, only oversight and monitoring functions.
The DA will table a motion of no confidence against Premier Lesufi for his reckless and irresponsible implementation of the failed Amapanyaza project. The DA will also seek clarification on the process by which the retraining of Amapanyaza members will be formally accredited and recognised by relevant institutions or potential employers. Additionally, we will request transparency regarding the funding source for this retraining initiative.
The residents of Gauteng deserve absolute openness and honesty from their provincial government, and the DA will exhaust all available platforms to ensure they receive it. The time for lies, deception, and exploiting the plight of thousands of desperate job seekers in Gauteng must come to an end. This is the end of the road for Premier Lesufi, the Public Protector Report is an indictment that he is not fit to govern Gauteng.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would implement the successful LEAP programme from the Western Cape to reduce crime. This programme would focus on lawfully deploying peace officers in the areas most in need, rather than using them for the premier’s personal squad.