Addressing a meeting of the South African National Civic Organisation in Johannesburg on Sunday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi told an unnamed Cabinet minister, presumably Minister of Police Bheki Cele, who was not present, 'Your days are numbered.' Cele's spokesperson denied the premier was referring to him.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's threats to Minister of Police Bheki Cele, made during a speech he delivered at the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) congress on Sunday, 12 November, were the latest in the controversy surrounding his unlawful budgeting, appointment and deployment of 6,000 Crime Prevention Wardens across Gauteng, before getting legal authorisation in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act.

The Act allows the appointment of "peace officers", with wide-ranging powers, but only after a formal request to and consultation between the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and the Minister of Police. The authorisation must then be published in the Government Gazette.

Lesufi told the Sanco conference, "We have trained these young people to be police wardens. You, as a police minister, are refusing to recognise them."

Wagging his fingers and to loud applause from Sanco delegates, he said, "Your days are numbered."

@siphodibakwaneyour days are numbered♬ original sound - Sipho Dibakwane

Lesufi continued: "We can't, when young people are assisting us to fight crime you want to undermine them. You can't when we have trained young people to be on the streets in our townships and protect our young people when they are...