By Pontsho Motaung
The Gauteng Provincial Government hosted an official pass-out ceremony for the new Crime Busting Unit, the Crime Prevention Wardens, at the Giant Stadium in Soshanguve this morning.
A total of 4,000 wardens are ready to start patrolling 24 hours a day in every ward in the province, starting from 01 May 2023. They will work with law enforcement and other authorities. Their schedule is reasonable because they will have two shifts: the first one starting at 6 am and ending at 6 pm, and the second one starting at 6 pm and continuing until the next morning.
The Crime Wardens will be armed, and their tools of the trade will include motor vehicles, vans, and radios.
“The Crime Prevention Wardens have all undergone training in constitutional law, criminal law, the Criminal Procedure Act, and crowd management,” said Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
One of the wardens, Kabelo Rathulo from Benoni, said that joining the unit is a big opportunity for him since he was unemployed and struggling to find a job. He added, “I don’t see this as just a simple job. I have to be fit and strong every day, but I am ready to run around the streets to save my people, my communities.”
Rasentle Malapi, another warden, stated, “We are committed to saving our communities from the crimes that occur every day. We will stop our children from using substances, and we will transform our city. We want people to walk freely, and we want our mothers, fathers, and children to be protected from bad people. We will be present in all places that are no longer safe.”
