Wardens paid despite alleged inactivity, DA raises concerns about waste
The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison has paid R52.8 million in stipends to 1,200 crime prevention wardens who claim they have not been deployed to duties since October 2025, a Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial spokesperson told the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
According to Teboho Sekaledi, a member of the provincial legislature and the DA spokesperson on community safety and security, the wardens were given 24-month contracts at a monthly rate of R4,000 each. They were initially deployed in September 2024 to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS) across the province’s 90 police stations.
Wardens have reportedly expressed frustration at being unused since October 2025, yet continuing to receive their monthly stipends from the department. Sekaledi calculated that, from that month to present, the department has paid out an estimated R52.8 million for non-deployed personnel.
“According to wardens who spoke to the DA on condition of anonymity, none of them has been deployed as GBVF brigades,” Sekaledi said, citing concerns about their status ahead of contract expiry in November this year.
Sekaledi also suggested the department might have misled the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Security by reporting that the wardens had been converted into gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) brigades and deployed to police stations across the province. The DA’s assertions are based on conversations with wardens who say they have not performed these roles.
In January 2026, the wardens underwent a two-week training aimed at retraining them as traffic wardens. They were reportedly promised responsibilities including school safety, assisting pupils to cross roads safely at designated crossing points, monitoring pedestrian access and managing traffic flow near schools, as well as enforcing speed measures.
Concerns centre on the apparent mismatch between the department’s public statements and the experiences reported by the wardens. The DA has written to Premier Mandla Ndlovu asking him to take action against the department for what it called wasteful and fruitless expenditure.
- Number of wardens: 1,200
- Monthly stipend per warden: R4,000
- Reported period of inactivity: Since October 2025
- Estimated expenditure on idle stipends: R52.8 million
- Contract length: 24 months (started September 2024)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deployment locations | 90 police stations across Mpumalanga (initial plan) |
| Retraining | Two-week traffic warden course (January 2026) |
| Contract expiry | November this year |
The situation raises several governance and operational questions for provincial authorities. If the wardens were not integrated into SAPS operations as intended, it suggests shortcomings in planning, coordination, or management of an externally funded provincial safety programme. It also raises potential budgetary accountability issues for the department.
For residents, the consequences are threefold: reduced street-level support for policing and school safety, potential erosion of public trust in safety initiatives, and the appearance of inefficient use of public funds at a time when many municipal services face financial pressure.
The DA has signalled it will pursue the matter through formal channels by writing to the Premier. The party is asking for a formal investigation into the payments and for clarity on the wardens’ operational status. Sekaledi’s statements to the legislature form the basis of the DA’s request for action.
Provincial departments have an obligation to account for public expenditure to the provincial legislature and to the communities they serve. The department has not been reported as responding to these specific allegations in the material made available to the legislature through the DA’s submission.
As wardens approach the end of their contracts, questions about future employment status and the fulfilment of promises made during retraining remain unresolved. Communities and parents concerned about school safety will be watching whether the traffic warden plans are implemented.
Further enquiries to the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, and to SAPS in Mpumalanga, may clarify whether operational deployments were recorded and whether any internal audits have been carried out to reconcile payments with actual service delivery.
What residents can expect next: the provincial legislature may request documentation from the department; the Premier could respond to the DA’s letter; and accountability processes may follow if the legislature finds evidence of non-performance or misleading statements to committees.
Coverage will continue as the legislature and provincial departments respond to the DA’s allegations.
