400 Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens To Report at SANDF Base for Training

• 400 newly recruited members of the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens will receive training from the South African National Defence Force
• Premier Panyaza Lesufi launched the Crime Prevention Wardens, also known as Amapanyaza, to boost the province's crime-fighting efforts
• South Africans were unhappy that they still existed, as many questioned the Amapanyaza's effectiveness

With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

KIMBERLEY, NORTHERN CAPE — The South African National Defence Force'sF3 South African infantry battalion will be responsible for whipping 400 Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens into shape.

SANDF to train Amapanyaza

According to TimesLIVE, the battalion, which provides basic military training and helped the South African Police Service under former Minister Bheki Cele train recruits, will train the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, also known as Amapanyaza in Kimberley, Northern Cape.

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The Amapanyaza will receive training in firearms use, radio procedure, crowd control, search and rescue, and first aid. Premier Panyaza Lesufi previously conferred the Amapanyaza with the same peace officer powers as the Gauteng Traffic Police, which caused a stir in the country.

South Africans dissatisfied

Netizens on Facebook begrudged the Gauteng Crime Prevention training and questioned its effectiveness.

Zet KaLuhlaza Vakala said:

"They hopped from basic law enforcement to basic military training. What is their mandate, really?"

Njabulo Cebekhulu said:

"They are not effective enough, but I'm happy for them because they are employed."

Buti Makama asked:

"Will military training be suitable for policing? This could be a problem in the future when they are armed and have to deal with civilians."

Timpana Ramodibe said:

"Crime is still high even after the deployment of Amapanyaza."

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Elizabeth Muzuva said:

"They go around taking bribes. They are not helping to fight crime."

SA unimpressed by Amapanyaza

In a related article, Briefly News reported that South African political parties were not impressed by Amapanyaza.

ActionSA called for trained officers to curb the scourge of crime in Gauteng, while the Patriotic Alliance called for specialised task teams to target known crime hotspots.

Source: Briefly News