Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has disbanded the controversial amaPanyaza traffic wardens after a public protector report found they were deployed without a legal basis.
The more than 8,000 wardens will now undergo formal training to become fully-fledged Gauteng traffic officers or security personnel.
Lesufi said the amaPanyaza had played a meaningful role in reducing crime, particularly at events where cellphones and vehicle lights of patrons were stolen regularly.
“The deployment of these wardens minimised, if not eroded, those complaints. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave at some of these events,” he said.
The public protector’s investigation found that the establishment, appointment and deployment of the amaPanyaza was not supported by any empowering legal framework, rendering their deployment irregular.
This has raised questions about accountability and governance.
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