Steenhuisen slammed over ‘PEP’ and ‘drunkard’ amaPanyaza comments

ActionSA interim national chair Michael Beaumont says comments made by DA‘s leader John Steenhuisen about Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s crime wardens do nothing to advance the image of the multi-party charter.

Steenhuisen has come under severe criticism following his comments about the crime busters while on the campaign trail in Pretoria at the weekend.

Pep stores

“What did Panyaza Lesufi do? He took your tax money to buy ill-fitting PEP Stores uniforms for untrained cadres and pretended that they were ‘crime wardens’. What kind of person pulls a drunkard out of a shebeen, gives him a uniform and a weapon, and then unleashes them onto a community?” Steenhuisen said.

“Mark my words: it will not be long until we find out that the ANC’s so-called crime wardens are themselves the source of crime. Instead of making our streets safer, they have made our streets more dangerous.”

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Mind your language

Beaumont did not take kindly to Steenhuisen’s remarks about Lesufi’s crime wardens.

“This is precisely why Action SA must be bigger and stronger within the multi-party charter for South Africa, so that this kind of language does not find expression in coalition governments.”

This is precisely why @Action4SA must be bigger and stronger within the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa so that this kind of language does not find expression in coalition governments. https://t.co/2XxsFSvuBp

— Michael Beaumont (@ME_Beaumont) January 28, 2024

Broadcaster Redi Tlhabi also slammed Steenhuisen for his comments.

“Many of us have criticised Lesufi’s populism and lack of evidence-based interventions. But you lot and racist tropes! I will give you a clue… Pep stores (mostly low-income black clients) Drunkards (every recruit is black) Shebeen ( black, township word for pub). Awful. And racist.”

Many of us have criticised Lesufi's populism & lack of evidence- based interventions. But you lot & racist tropes! I will give you a clue..Pep stores (Mostly low income Black clients) Drunkards (every recruit is Black) Shebeen ( Black, township word for pub). Awful. And racist. https://t.co/QK2IZMC7i1

— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) January 27, 2024

amaPanyaza

The amaPanyaza, as wardens have become known, are a 6 000-strong force of recruits meant to collaborate with the South African Police Service (Saps).

They were deployed to crime hot spots where it was hoped they will apprehend criminals and prevent crimes from taking place.

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