Johannesburg – With 4 000 crime prevention wardens sweeping crime off the streets, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, has announced another batch of crime prevention wardens.
Almost 6 000 force multipliers have been deployed to monitor and protect townships, informal settlements and hostels, CBDs and businesses.
As the wardens took off, Lesufi said that gone were the days where people would be robbed at the taxi ranks; the selling of drugs and expired food, and children would be afraid to go to schools because of bullies. “Those days are gone,” he said.
At Tsakane Stadium in Ekurhuleni on Sunday, Lesufi said that the Gauteng provincial government has an integrated crime prevention plan that includes the highest form of technology to battle crime. He said the first form of technology was installing CCTVs.
He said the CCTVs were being connected in Diepsloot and would be rolled out in all townships. The premier introduced almost 180 drones to monitor areas and six helicopters as back-ups. Four hundred motor vehicles were procured for the first cohort.
“We are releasing you to do one thing and one thing only, to make Gauteng safe,” he said.
Panyaza said they would advertise 8 000 permanent jobs during the commemoration of June 16, for all people to apply so that they can join the Gauteng provincial government.
“We are sending a message to all young people that are unemployed that we are ready to employ you in Gauteng. We don’t want to celebrate June 16 being unemployed. We are tired of unemployment,” he said.
Clerks, receptionists, engineers, doctors, teachers, cleaners, security guards, financial officers and hospital porters were a few of the posts that he said would be included in the 8 000 jobs to ensure that they fight poverty.
He said they will advertise 6 000 new posts in July for Gauteng to fight poverty.
“We are also advertising 6 000 new posts … We will fix our townships,” he said.
He urged wardens to avoid unlawful actions.
“Where politeness is needed, please be polite, where roughness is needed, please continue to be polite so that you can demonstrate that you are doing your work peacefully,” he said.
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