Can crime prevention wardens end lawlessness in South Africa?

“The level of crime in our province is completely unacceptable. It can’t even be compared to the warzone in Ukraine. We have to stop this. If we don’t, it will swallow all of us. We can’t have so many people being murdered” Violent crime has long been a problem in South Africa. Statistics released by the police recently show that over 6 200 people were murdered in the country in just three months. In an attempt to push back against lawlessness, the government of Gauteng, a province seriously affected by crime, established a unit known as the Crime Prevention Wardens. These are young men and women who’ve been trained to support the police who are overstretched. But security experts are questioning this move saying the government of South Africa should rather focus on strengthening the mainstream police force. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Panyaza Lesufi, Paul Mente and Gareth Newham