The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has expressed serious concerns over the safety and operational capacity of the province’s Crime Prevention Wardens, following a violent shooting incident that left five wardens injured in Daveyton on Sunday.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Committee, it indicated that findings from preliminary reports suggest that the wardens came under fire from a group of armed assailants wielding high-calibre weapons, including an AK-47, while conducting a routine patrol and stop-and-search operation.
With the assailants reportedly using high-calibre weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and a pistol, two female and three male wardens were wounded and are receiving medical attention in the hospital.
The committee stated that no fatalities were reported, but all five wardens sustained injury, still, the Chair of the Committee, Bandile Masuku expressing deep concern about the incident.
“This attack highlights the urgent need to reassess the protection, training, and support provided to our Crime Prevention Wardens, particularly as they confront increasingly dangerous and heavily armed criminal elements.”
The Committee has called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
It specifically seeks clarity on whether armed South African Police Service officers accompanied the wardens during the operation and if all protocol was followed.
The Committee added that, just days before the shooting, on August 28, the Committee received an academic progress report from a study led by Professor Rakubu at Tshwane University of Technology.
According to Masuku, the study evaluated the impact of the Crime Prevention Wardens since their deployment and outlined necessary interventions to strengthen their effectiveness.
“While we value the essential role that Crime Prevention Wardens play in enhancing community safety, we caution that they should not be placed in high-risk environments without adequate equipment, comprehensive training, and sufficient operational support.”
As violent crime continues to challenge Gauteng, the Committee stressed the importance of better inter-agency coordination and ensuring that all law enforcement personnel are adequately protected.
The Committee extended well wishes to the injured wardens, calling for a swift recovery, and stressing the imperative that those responsible for the attack are promptly brought to justice.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Lesufi Panyaza described the incident as a testament to the determination of criminals to perpetrate violence across Gauteng.
“What this incident confirms is that we’ve got people that are hellbent to cause massacres across our province,” he said during a media briefing at the hospital.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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