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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi after been faced with pressing questions by Democratic Alliance’s (DA), committed to the urgent revival of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Reservist Programme. Reservists are crucial in assisting full-time police officers in keeping our communities safe, often without the recognition or support they deserve.

The Premier's commitment came in response to oral questions posed by the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). However, the Premier could not provide details regarding the timeline or mechanisms to facilitate this anticipated revival.

The DA Gauteng conducted oversight inspections of various police stations across Gauteng have uncovered significant understaffing concerns, especially at front desks and in patrols. This shortage directly affects community safety and highlights the need to revitalise the reservist programme.

It is concerning that the number of active reservists has decreased from 6,000 in 2010 to 892 as of 1 January 2025. Furthermore, the Gauteng Provincial Government's (GPG) decision not to include those police reservists that can be absorbed into the first group of the Gauteng Crime Wardens or Amapanyaza is a missed opportunity to leverage their experience working with the police to combat crime.

The DA Gauteng will table follow-up questions to Premier Lesufi to ascertain how and when this programme will be revived.

A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have revived police reservists to bolster structured law enforcement agencies, provided the necessary refresher training, brought back the ranking system, and deployed these committed men and women to serve the communities they deeply care about.

The DA is dedicated to ensuring that Gauteng police stations are properly staffed and supported at the highest level. Reviving the SAPS Reservist Programme is a crucial step towards this goal.

Issued by Michael Sun MPL - DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Community Safety