AmaPanyaza

Lesufi survives DA no-confidence bid, parties slam motion as political opportunism

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has survived a series of political blows after the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s motion of no confidence against him was decisively rejected by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Friday. The DA accused Lesufi of unlawfully establishing the now-discontinued AmaPanyaza Crime Prevention Warden Unit — a programme it claims cost the province more than R2-billion and was implemented without a legal mandate. The party also alleged that Lesufi […]

November 14, 2025 22

News

Lesufi vows tight security for G20 Summit, promises to regularise AmaPanyaza

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has issued a stern warning to anyone planning to test the province’s security ahead of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit. Briefing the media on Tuesday, Lesufi said Gauteng is fully prepared to host the global event in the coming weeks, with all major concerns addressed and resolved. Lesufi said the province is fully prepared to host the G20 Summit, with key venues and infrastructure secured ahead […]

November 4, 2025 40

News

Public Protector gives Lesufi five months to reclassify Crime Prevention Wardens as traffic officers

The Public Protector has found that the establishment and rollout of Gauteng’s Crime Prevention Wardens — widely known as AmaPanyaza — were unlawful and irregular, slamming the provincial government for breaching constitutional and legal procedures. In a damning report released on Wednesday, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka criticised the Gauteng Department of Community Safety for proceeding without proper legal authority, saying the move violated the Constitution and several other laws. "The law […]

October 23, 2025 39

News

Lesufi pulls the plug on AmaPanyaza, to be retrained as traffic officers

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has announced that the Crime Prevention Wardens Programme — commonly known as AmaPanyaza — will be disbanded to allow members to undergo formal training and transition into provincial traffic officers. Introduced in 2023 to support law enforcement efforts, the programme has faced controversy, with critics questioning the wardens’ training and legal status. That same year, then Justice Minister Ronald Lamola designated them as peace officers, but […]

October 22, 2025 131