Panyaza Lesufi Responds to Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's Claims That Crime Prevention Wardens Are Illegal
- The Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, slammed allegations that KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made about the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens
- Mkhwanazi testified at the Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament and alleged that the Crime Prevention Wardens
- Lesufi challenged Mkhwanazi's statements and clarified that the Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, were legitimate
CHECK OUT: How to Start Earning with Copywriting in Just 7 Days – Even if You’re a Complete Beginner
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: UGC
GAUTENG — The Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, defended the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, after KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi slammed them.
Mkhwanazi testified at the Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament on 8 October 2025. He described the Amapanyaza as unlawful. He said that its formation was illegal and should never have happened. Mkhwanazi said that he raised the proposal of the Wardens' establishment in the police Board of Commissioners. Mkhwanazi said that legal services also supported his argument.
What did Lesufi say?
Lesufi shared a statement by the Gauteng Provincial Government on his @Lesufi X account. The provincial government said that it rejects the assertion that the formation of the Amapanyaza showed contempt for the law. The mandate of the amaPanyaza was to work with other law enforcement agencies and focus on informal settlements, hostels, and townships as priority areas.
Source: Getty Images
"We respect the law. We will also promote inter-government cooperation to ensure we defeat crime," he said.
Read the X statement here:
A look at Mkhwanazi's Ad Hoc Committee testimony
Mkhwanazi began his testimony on 7 October 2025, although it was delayed after members of the Ad Hoc committee disagreed over one of the statements he provided. When his testimony began, he testified about the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, the late Nathi Mthethwa, and the crime intelligence unit.
What you need to know about the Ad Hoc Committee
- Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu may have interfered with a criminal case by destroying evidence during his tenure as the KwaZulu-Natal Premier
- Mkhwanazi made Economic Freedom Fighters' president Julius Malema smile when he weighed in on his political stance
- Mlhwanazi also said funds from the Crime Intelligence budget allegedly built the perimeter wall around Mthethwa's homestead in KwaMbonambi
- Mkhwanazi remarked that he opened a case of defeating the ends of justice against suspended Deputy National Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya for his role in the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team
- The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner said that rogue members of the Crime Intelligence Unit have the capacity to use gadgets to listen in on citizens
Mkhwanazi weighs in on Cele's view on the PKTT
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Mkhwanazi responded to a question about former Police Minister Bheki Cele's take on the Political Killings Task Team's work.
When asked whether Cele supported the Task Team, he replied that he was not supportive of it in the same way one would support a football team. He said, though, that Cele was happy about its work.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
