“Where politeness is needed, please be polite. Where roughness is needed please be rough.”

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi had this to say on Sunday at Giants Stadium in Soshanguve where 4,000 “crime-prevention wardens” graduated to support police in fighting lawlessness across the province.

The wardens, mostly unemployed youth from different parts of the province, were joined by family members who packed the stadium for the graduation after a three-month training programme.

“We are sending a strong message to criminals and are also sending a strong message to the communities to say gone are the days where you phoned the police asking for protection and police say the don’t have cars.

“We are doing this because we are tired of criminals. We are doing this to send a very strong message to criminals to say your time is up,” Lesufi said.

Lesufi also handed over two of six helicopters the provincial government promised to provide to combat crime.

The provincial government is donating 75 vehicles to the SAPS to help improve response times when residents call for help.

There are also 200 high-powered vehicles, procured to be used by the wardens patrolling different wards.

“They are joining the provincial police, special units which will be supporting these youths. Their learning is continuous. They are going to be appropriately armed and have all the powers [to arrest], can be assigned by the police and do whatever they are required to do.

“We want to make our province safe. We are determined to do that, whatever it takes,” he added.

Dressed in green overalls, the wardens displayed their drill skills on the soccer pitch as the crowd applauded.

But the graduation ceremony did not go without some drama. At least three of the wardens collapsed during the parade and were attended to by paramedics as the temperature rose in Soshanguve.

Since taking office, Lesufi has identified crime as the number one enemy of his administration. In the state of the province address in February, he announced that drones, helicopters, CCTV cameras and panic buttons would be used to fight rampant crime in Gauteng.

He promised residents an integrated command centre would be established to receive video footage from CCTV cameras across the province, including ones in the private sector.

On Friday, Lesufi said the command centre was yet to be completed as negotiations continued with municipalities that own some of the CCTV infrastructure.

The introduction of the crime prevention wardens has been criticised by opposition parties as not being properly planned and a “political ploy”.

The new crime prevention wardens will hit the ground running on May 1.

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