File: A general view of a flack jacket of a member from the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens in Sharpeville.
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng government has announced that the Crime Prevention Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, will cease to exist in their current form.
The move signals an admission that current training hasn’t been enough to prepare wardens for the demands of their work
The wardens have faced ongoing controversy over their legitimacy and role in law enforcement.
READ: CheckPoint | AmaPanyaza | 12 October 2025
The unit was launched in 2023 by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi but critics have said that they lack proper training and authority compared to police officers.
The Gauteng government now says that the wardens will be repurposed to be part of the province's Traffic Police and Special Law Enforcement Unit (SLEU) and other security partners.
They will be subjected to extensive and intensive training for the next 18 to 36 months.
Those who don't qualify for training will be assigned to other municipalities for by-law enforcement.
READ: Crime in SA | 'AmaPanyaza' now peace officers
The legitimacy of AmaPanyaza was brought back into the spotlight after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told parliament's Ad Hoc Committee that is investigating political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system that the unit operates outside the law.