The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday it will be tabling a motion of no confidence against Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for what it termed “his reckless and irresponsible” implementation of the “failed” Amapanyaza project.

The DA will also seek clarification on the process by which the retraining of Amapanyaza members will be formally accredited and recognised by relevant institutions or potential employers.

The DA held a briefing on Thursday, following Lesufi's announcement that Amapanyaza would be disbanded for them to undergo training to become fully fledged Traffic Officers, over 36 months.

The DA previously cautioned that the Amapanyaza initiative was “ill-conceived, poorly implemented, and unsustainable”.

Leader of the Official Opposition in Gauteng Solly Msimanga said his party would also request transparency regarding the funding source for this retraining initiative.

“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 said.

He argued that the disbandment vindicated the DA’s argument that the programme was “poorly planned, was very costly, and had no genuine intention of empowering these desperate men and women to become peace officers”.

Msimanga described it as a gimmick to “score cheap political points”.

He said the programme had been highly criticised because of damages and losses incurred.

“Some wardens lost their lives. Unfortunately, the truth has finally caught up with Lesufi, forcing him to reconsider this ill-conceived decision.

“It was inevitable that the arrogant and goalpost-shifting Premier Lesufi would not have disbanded this unlawful project until he was left with nowhere to turn. Were it not for the persistent pressure from the DA and the damning remarks by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who confirmed before the Ad-Hoc Committee that the Amapanyaza were unlawful and not sanctioned under the South African Police Service Act, Lesufi would have carried on,” stated Msimanga.

He pointed to the Public Protector’s revelations that establishing, appointing, deploying and allowing Amapanyaza to conduct operations with the South African Police Service without legal authority, was in fact irregular.

He stated that Lesufi’s actions violated Section 41(1)(f) and (g) of the Constitution, which prohibit government entities from assuming powers not granted to them or encroaching on the functions of another sphere of government.

“Under Section 206(4) of the Constitution, provincial governments do not have policing powers, only oversight and monitoring functions,” he said.

Meanwhile, a DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would implement the LEAP programme from the Western Cape to reduce crime.

The programme focuses on lawfully deploying peace officers in the areas most in need.