The Gauteng government has formally recognised over 9,000 traffic and crime prevention wardens as Peace Officers. More than 9,000 Gauteng crime prevention wardens, known as “AmaPanyaza,” have been officially declared Peace Officers, the government announced on Friday, a move that one criminologist warns could cost millions of rands. The decision comes after years of uncertainty over the wardens’ legal status and powers, which first emerged in 2023.
The announcement was made at a joint briefing by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Ministry of Police, and the Gauteng Provincial Government in Pretoria. Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi led the briefing. The declaration follows a report released on October 22, 2025 by Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka, which stemmed from a complaint lodged in September 2023 by Advocate Paul Hoffman, director of Accountability Now. The complaint raised concerns about the establishment, appointment, and deployment of crime prevention wardens.
