Panyaza Lesufi Responds to Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Allegations 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

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.

GAUTENG — The Premier of Gauteng, Panayza Leaufi, 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.

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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.

"We respect the law. We will also promote inter-government cooperation to ensure we defeat crime," he said.

Read the X statement here:

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News