Gauteng Crime Wardens now peace officers: AfriForum warns of legal and safety issues

AfriForum calls on the national and provincial authorities to fully disclose the training and selection processes that were followed to adjust the status of more than 9 000 so-called Crime Wardens to peace officers. The organisation also demands information on the legal framework that supports this designation and to ensure that appropriate oversight and accountability mechanisms are in place.

This follows the minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi’s  announcement on Friday (30 January) that more than 9 000 Crime Wardens will now enjoy peace officer status, despite the continued lack of clarity about their training, selection and legal status.

This announcement follows a damning report by Kholeka Gcaleka, the Public Protector, in October 2025, which found that the establishment of the Gauteng Crime Wardens was unlawful and that they should never have been deployed. Instead of addressing these fundamental legal shortcomings, AfriForum believes that the government is attempting to retroactively legalise an illegal structure by simply renaming it.

According to Prof. Firoz Cachalia, the acting Minister of Police, the wardens have allegedly undergone all the necessary training and assessments and are now competent to carry out their duties within the scope of the law. However, to date, no information has been provided on the nature of the training, the instructor, duration or accreditation. There is also no indication of how competence was assessed after completion of the training. AfriForum’s previous requests in this regard have remained unanswered.

Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety, says the absence of transparency is deeply troubling.

“Government keeps repeating that these wardens are ‘properly trained’, but no one can say what training they actually received. When thousands of individuals suddenly gain law enforcement powers, the public deserves clear answers rather than being appeased by politicians,” says Broodryk.

AfriForum warns that peace officer status is not a symbolic designation, but one that carries real and far-reaching powers, including the authority to arrest and enforce the law. Granting such powers without full transparency regarding training, vetting and oversight creates serious risks for the public and opens the door to abuses of power, misconduct and potential human rights violations.

Broodryk further notes that the Gcaleka’s findings cannot simply be ignored. “You cannot fix an unlawful structure by attaching a new title to it. If the original establishment was unlawful, then any attempt to legitimise it must be grounded in proper legislation, clear regulations and lawful processes. Anything less than that undermines the rule of law and exposes ordinary citizens to unacceptable risk,” he says.

AfriForum remains particularly concerned about whether proper background checks, criminal record screenings and psychological assessments were conducted before granting peace officer status to those individuals. In a country already struggling with high levels of violent crime, poor policing capacity and low public trust in law enforcement, the introduction of inadequately scrutinised peace officers may worsen, rather than improve, public safety while also placing these wardens in harms way with a false sense of confidence.

“The Crime Wardens are an attempt to create the illusion of fighting crime for political gain,” Broodryk concludes. “The country needs legal, professional and accountable policing instead. Until the government can explain exactly how these crime fighters were trained, vetted and empowered, this announcement leaves more questions than answers.”