Gauteng Premier Lesufi says DA' s no-confidence motion against him is a publicity stunt
Gauteng Premier and ANC chairperson in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, remains unconcerned by the DA’s announcement on Thursday that it plans to table a motion of no confidence against him.
The DA attributes this decision to his “failed and costly Crime Prevention Wardens programme,” widely known as AmaPanyaza as it claims to have the necessary numbers to successfully oust Lesufi.
This comes hot on the heels of Lesufi’s announcement that the AmaPanyaza programme will be disbanded in a phased approach over the next 36 months, with wardens undergoing retraining to become fully-fledged Traffic Officers.
The DA views this decision as an admission of failure and a vindication of their long-standing criticisms.
Lesufi’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, was dismissive of the DA’s efforts. “To date, they’ve not won a single motion since the establishment of the 7th Administration…So it’s clear this is another stunt by the DA to play to the public gallery rather than offering concrete solutions to fight crime in the province,” Mhlanga said.
He further highlighted what he called the “irony” of a peace officer force being operational in the Western Cape after they “copied our model here in Gauteng”.
The ANC also expressed confidence in Lesufi’s leadership. ANC spokesperson Mzi Khumalo said that the party would defeat any motion.
“Our ANC Caucus of the GPL (Gauteng Provincial Legislature) will work with other political parties to defeat the DA’s motion of no confidence.
“We remain confident in the leadership of comrade Panyaza Lesufi as our Premier,” Khumalo said.
The DA has been a vocal critic of the AmaPanyaza programme, with party leader in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga, previously cautioning that the initiative was “ill-conceived, poorly implemented, and unsustainable”.
“We warned that the recruits were not adequately trained, insufficiently resourced, and did not meet the legal criteria to serve as peace officers. Premier Lesufi stubbornly chose to ignore these warnings, pressing ahead with a costly programme that has now collapsed under its own weight,” he added.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, recently told Paerliament’s ad-hoc committee probing allegations of political interference in the police, that the AmaPanyaza programme was unlawful and not sanctioned under the South African Police Service (SAPS) Act.
The Public Protector recently found that the establishment, appointment, deployment, and operation of AmaPanyaza with the SAPS without legal authority, was irregular.
The Public Protector’s report indicated that Lesufi’s actions violated Section 41 (1)(f) and (g) of the Constitution, which prohibits government entities from assuming powers not granted to them or encroaching on the functions of another sphere of government. Crucially, under Section 206 (4) of the Constitution, provincial governments do not possess policing powers, only oversight and monitoring functions.
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za