Gauteng Premier Panyanza Lesufi Compares Body Shaming to Racism After Crime Prevention Warden Was Teased

• Gauteng Premier Panyanza Lesufi lambasted South Africans who made fun of a newly recruited crime prevention warden because of his weight
• Lesufi slammed the body shamers and stated that body shaming was just as dangerous as racism
• Some South Africans agreed with the premier's points about body shaming, while others stated that Mahlatse Tseko was not the right man for the job

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Premier Panyanza Lesufi came to the defence of a newly recruited crime prevention warden who was body shamed on social media.

Gauteng Premier Panyanza Lesufi calls out body shamers

One recruit, Mahlatse Tseko, was laughed at and mocked after some South Africans stated that he was not "fit" enough to be part of the crime prevention programme.

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Lesufi quickly came to Tseko's defence and stated that body shaming and discrimination are as dangerous as racism and sexism.

The premier shared a video of Tseko during a training exercise, showing that he was fit to run. Lesufi highlighted that Tseko had been fighting crime for years before graduating from the crime prevention programme.

According to TimesLIVE, the crime prevention initiative will station wardens at crime hotspots, with over 21 000 eager South Africans applying for the spot.

Only 10 660 applicants were shortlisted, with 6 000 accepted into the training stage. However, only 4000 candidates graduated, and 3 200 were deployed on Monday, 1 May.

During the graduation ceremony in Soshaguve, Pretoria, Lesufi stated that crime prevention wardens would assist law enforcement officials in fighting crime at wards to squeeze criminals.

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“Their deployment in hotspot areas forms part of targeted crime prevention operations to deter and detect criminal activities and squeeze the space for criminals to operate," said Lesufi.

South Africans weigh in on Panyanza Lesufi's comments on body shaming

While some people agreed with the premier's comments about body shaming the crime prevention warden, others doubled down and said being part of law enforcement requires someone to be fit.

Here's what people had to say:

@Tumelo_boitydad said:

"Tseko Mahlatsi is an upstanding citizen and dedicated more than those they say can chase and catch criminals. I know him as a sign of hope and wisdom in the Vaal. I can't wait to see him doing this. I know him and know he will do this job with his 100%."

@mogakabede said:

"Premier, it is very important to be physically fit for police duties - to perform effectively and keep oneself and others safe. Some might have expressed themselves in a way that implies body shaming, police duties require physical fitness, I hope this is not cadre employment."

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@Cellular_jnr said:

"We can't be fighting the system with people who are not fit for the job. Yes, we can't body shame, but hiring people while they are not fit enough for the job description is pure corruption on its own."

@TeffuJoy said:

"People always have something to say. Good luck to Mahlatse."

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The officer @aickor recorded himself putting on his epaulettes and buttoning his shirt and posted the clip on his TikTok page.

Over 250 000 people saw his video, and hundreds of women flooded his comments to ask about his relationship status.

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Source: Briefly News