WATCH | Lesufi’s AmaPanyaza unit illegal, says Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi

Lesufi

Pretoria – Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s creation of the provincial crime-fighting unit, the Crime Prevention Wardens (“AmaPanyaza”), has been declared unlawful by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Mkhwanazi told Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Wednesday that he raised legal objections to the unit at the SAPS Board of Commissioners (BOC), a stance later confirmed by SAPS Legal Services.

“When the premier of Gauteng (Lesufi), with good intentions to fight crime in the province of Gauteng, started a unit that by law should not exist — the Mapanya-panya that is famous. I raised that at the BOC and I said this is illegal,” said Mkhwanazi.

“It is against the law, and the premier must be advised. He has got good intentions but it cannot be done. The law doesn’t allow it. The very senior managers in the police said no, just leave the premier alone. At the next BOC, Legal Services came up with a presentation and they argued the same thing I had argued.”

Mkhwanazi added: “They presented that what has been done in Gauteng is against the law, it should not be allowed. This was when there was an engagement at executive level, between the minister and the premier at the time.”

Despite these objections, training for the wardens continued, but they remain legally unable to enforce the law under the Police Act.

According to IOL, In 2023, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola granted the wardens the same legal status as Gauteng provincial traffic officers, allowing limited crime-fighting powers, but the issue of full incorporation into the legal framework remains unresolved.

The wardens, established by Lesufi and then MEC Faith Mazibuko, have drawn attention for both their role in communities and incidents such as crashing BMW vehicles assigned to them.

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