Gauteng’s controversial crime prevention wardens have been involved in 22 accidents since taking possession of 199 new BMWs in May.
Three cars have been written off, 11 vehicles are undergoing repairs, and eight are being assessed for damage.
This was revealed by Gauteng department of community safety spokesperson Ofentse Morwane after questions from the Sunday Times. Morwane said wardens faced challenges on the road like any other motorist.
“Law enforcement officials are not immune to road accidents, particularly because they have to cautiously use high levels of speed when conducting high-density operations and patrols. However, the department does not condone [the] reckless and irresponsible driving of state vehicles.”
This is the latest setback for Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s controversial job-creation plan to introduce wardens — nicknamed amaPanyazas — into high-crime areas in the province.
Among the BMWs bought by the province are X1s, X3s and 3 series models.
Over the next three years, the provincial government plans to spend R4bn on training and absorbing the wardens. The Gauteng treasury raised concerns about these costs in the medium-term budget policy statement earlier this week.
Law enforcement officials are not immune to roads accidents, particularly because they have to cautiously use high levels of speed when conducting high-density operations and patrols
— Ofentse Morwane, Gauteng department of community safety
Morwane said accidents involving the wardens and Gauteng traffic police were thoroughly investigated by the department’s internal accident investigation unit.
“In an instance where ... investigations show that officials were negligent, the necessary disciplinary action is taken,” Morwane said. He did not respond to questions about whether any wardens had faced disciplinary action for the accidents.
On May 1, Lesufi unveiled 6,000 wardens in green overalls, amid concern that they had not been adequately trained to deal with the province’s high prevalence of violent crime. Opposition parties said the move was aimed at generating votes in next year’s elections.
When asked about the damaged vehicles, Lesufi’s spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla, said only that Lesufi “receives constant briefings on the wardens and continues to guide the department of community safety in many areas, including safeguarding the available resources and ensuring that they are effectively and efficiently utilised to fight crime”.
“The provincial government is busy nurturing community and stakeholder partnerships to fight crime. It has met with businesses and security companies to ensure available resources are harnessed towards defeating criminals. The provincial government encourages all forums and stakeholders to come forward with their crime-fighting ideas and proposals to make sure that we create a safer Gauteng for residents.”
Pamla said the wardens were “students”.
“That is why you find them at the police station. They are not empowered to do anything by themselves at all. If you see them on the street, you are likely to see Gauteng traffic police with them. That is why the province is calling them a supplementary force. They are not replacing the police.
“When you see them at the police station, it is because the supervisors — the SAPS — on that particular day have decided they should be at the police station and should focus on paperwork. Once they are fully-fledged peace officers, they will be able to interact with the community structures. They will be able to venture by themselves to do the work that their mandate allows them to do,” Pamla said.
However, SAPS top brass continue to distance themselves from the wardens until they are legally recognised as peace officers. In a memo last week, provincial commissioner Elias Mawela said crime prevention wardens are not authorised to certify documents.
“Information was brought to the attention of the provincial commissioner that crime prevention wardens are utilised at CSC [community service centres] to certify documents and act as commissioners of oaths,” read the memo, dated November 22, which was sent to deputy provincial commissioners, district commissioners and provincial heads.
“Crime prevention wardens are not ... authorised to certify documents or attest [to] a document by applying the oath of a commissioner of oaths, as they are not peace officers and therefore lack the legal authority.
“No commander may under any circumstances allow the crime prevention wardens to perform any duty that’s assigned to a member of the SAPS.”
In November Lesufi’s frustrations appeared to boil over when he hit out, apparently at police minister Bheki Cele. He told a South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) conference: “We have trained these young people to be police wardens. You, as a police minister, are refusing to recognise them.”
Wagging his fingers and to loud applause from Sanco delegates, he said: “Your days are numbered. When young people are assisting us to fight crime, you want to undermine them. When we have trained young people to be on the streets of our townships and to protect our young people when they are studying at night in our schools, you don’t want to recognise them.
“We say to this minister: give us the power for these young people to have the power to get guns so that they [can] protect our townships and chase away criminals in our own areas. And we are committed to that.”
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