GP gov spent R450 million on crime-fighting unit
The Gauteng provincial government spent almost R450 million on a new crime-busting unit made up of peace officers.
The R450 million budget was confirmed by Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko at a media briefing on the state of readiness for the pass-out parade of the newly recruited warders at the Gautrain Management Agency in Midrand on Friday.
"We have spent almost R450 million - it is for cars, accommodation, transport, (and) uniform,” she said.
“They are fully kitted, as much as we are still to purchase other important things like the tools of the trade that we have to give them.”
The unit consists of so-called crime prevention wardens responsible for patrol operations at the ward level across Gauteng communities using e-policing solutions such as drones, CCTVs, high-tech vehicles and helicopters to eliminate criminal elements in the province.
The cohort of 4000 wardens will be graduating on Sunday at a pass-out parade set to take place in Soshanguve.
The wardens will start working on Monday and part of their responsibilities will be to address illegal land occupation and lawlessness, damage to state infrastructure and vandalism, and gender-based violence and femicide.
The unit will be deployed in hotspot areas as part of targeted crime prevention operations to reduce serious and violent crimes in Gauteng communities.
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