Dunnottar-based 1 Construction Regiment earlier this month (October) welcomed 400 fledgling Gauteng traffic wardens for training ahead of deployment on the streets of South Africa’s economic heartland as part of what is widely known as Amapanyaza, in reference to the provincial premier’s ongoing efforts to curb crime and traffic violations.
Having new recruits in for training is not new for the Engineer Formation unit. The October arrivals are the third intake at the Far East Rand base for Amapanyaza – known in some circles as crime prevention wardens (CPWs) and also referred to as traffic wardens, supporting Gauteng provincial law enforcement agencies.
Other SA Army bases to host Amapanyaza training are 3 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion in Kimberley, recognised as a premier Infantry Formation training unit, 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment (also in Kimberley) in the Air Defence Artillery Formation and 4 Artillery Regiment in Potchefstroom in the Artillery Formation.
The training programmes for the provincial law enforcement recruits first started in 2023 according to Lieutenant Betty Palathan. Reporting for SA National Defence Force (SANDF) social media she has it the training “is expected to produce well-equipped and well-trained wardens who will ensure the safety of their communities and individuals who take pride in themselves and their profession”.
The October Dunnottar arrivals are the third batch of the year to report for training as agreed to between the Gauteng provincial government, specifically its Community Safety Department, and the SANDF. Training is discipline-based with further emphasis on instruction supporting other law enforcement agencies and personnel in fighting crime. What are termed “critical skills” for individual as well as social development are also part of the eight-week practical and classroom training.
