Panyaza Lesufi to deliver Gauteng Sopa on Monday night

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will deliver the State of the Province Address (Sopa) on Monday, 19 February at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

PANYAZA LESUFI TO DELIVER GAUTENG SOPA

Tonight’s Sopa will be the last one Lesufi delivers of the current administration. Let’s look at some of the things Lesufi promised in February 2023.

Lesufi said from 1 April 2023, they plan to connect suburbs, townships, business districts, schools, and other public places with high-tech, face and car recognition CCTVs.

“We will arm our residents with e-Panic buttons that will be linked to our law enforcement agencies, CCTVs, and our new state-of-the-art Integrated Command Centre. We will unveil two new helicopters at the beginning of the next financial year and add four additional helicopters within the 2023/2024 budget cycle,” Lesufi said.

• The Premier added that the private security industry has pledged to add theirs to the pool of helicopters that will patrol Gauteng skies.
• To ensure that police are not sacrificial lambs in the battles with criminals, Lesufi said they are at an advanced stage of procuring 180 state-of-the-art drones that will infiltrate areas that are difficult to patrol and police. These drones are equipped with technology that can capture the direction of a bullet and where they come from.
• At least 6000 young men and women have been recruited to monitor and police Gauteng 24/7; they will invade the streets from 1 May 2023.
• Almost 10 000 private security companies have agreed to combine their resources with the provinces’ under a joint command structure to fight crime together.

CRIME WARDENS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED

In December 2023 Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola designated Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, peace officers.

The wardens were launched earlier in 2023 by the Gauteng Government and are tasked with augmenting crime prevention efforts in the province.

Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens. Image: X/Gauteng Government.

Lesufi said the announcement finally clarifies the uncertainty over the status of the Crime Prevention Wardens.

“It affirms what we have said all along, that the CPWs are a legal, well-equipped provincial law enforcement body that collaborates with other law enforcement organisations in the province.

“They operate under the supervision of the other law enforcement agencies, i.e., Gauteng Traffic and local authorities,” he said at the time.

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