Over R52 million paid to Crime Prevention Wardens who are sitting at home doing nothing

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has written to Premier Mandla Ndlovu asking him to act against the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison for fruitless and wasteful expenditure. This comes after the DA learned that the department has paid R52,8 million in the past 11-months to 1200 Crime Prevention Warders (CPWs) who have been sitting at home doing nothing. 

In September 2024, Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Jackie Macie, deployed 1200 CPWs to work with the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) in the 90 Police Stations across Mpumalanga. They were given a 24-months contract at a stipend of R4000 each. 

It has now come to the DA’s attention that the CPWs are frustrated as they have not been utilised since October 2025, but they are still getting their R4000 stipend while sitting at home. This means that from October 2025 up to date, the department has already paid R52.8 million to the CPWs. This is pure wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and the DA wants the Premier to act against the department. 

It has also come to the DA’s attention that MEC Macie may have misled the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety, Security and Liaison, by reporting that the CPWs have been converted to Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Brigades who were deployed in police stations across the province to help strengthen community-based prevention and fight against GBVF. But according to CPWs who spoke to the DA on condition of anonymity, none of them have been deployed as GBVF Brigades. They are also concerned about their status when their CPW contracts come to an end in November this year. 

In January this year, the CPWs went for a two-week training with the aim of converting them to Traffic Wardens. They were promised that they will be responsible for school safety, ensuring children cross roads safely at designated crossings, monitor pedestrian access, manage traffic flow near schools, and help enforce speed limits, particularly in school zones during peak hours. But they have not been deployed anywhere. They are sitting at home frustrated, while still getting the R4000 stipend.