More than 200 000 people have now signed Action Society’s petition to have Bheki Cele removed as Minister of Police. The civil rights organisation and police watchdog has been campaigning for the sacking of the incompetent minister for quite some time, but for some reason and despite his long list of failures, he’s never faced the axe.
“Countless studies have shown that poor leadership has a devastating effect on not only a company, but also its employees, and this is definitely the case in the South African Police Service,” Ian Cameron, Director of Community Safety at Action Society. “It also directly impacts the results of key performance areas. For example, 108 071 people were murdered since Cele became Minister of Police. In fact, the daily murder rate increased by 75% from 48 to 84 since he took on the title. That should clearly indicate how ineffective he is as a minister.”
Action Society also officially lodged a formal request to terminate Cele with the Speaker of Parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in July 2022 and is awaiting further steps.
While Action Society will continue in its concerted efforts to get rid of Bheki Cele, we are also suggesting other solutions to the unacceptable crime situation in South Africa, one of which is federal policing. For example, the decentralisation of SAPS can be tested in the Western Cape. Through this model, local taxes can be invested in improving local law enforcement instead of funding the national government. As a result, we can restore SAPS accountability and improve service delivery through a safer Western Cape (and eventually South Africa).
Action Society urges South Africans to support our petition here.
**Please note**
Action Society is an apolitical civil rights organisation and police watchdog tasked with giving a voice to the vulnerable voiceless. Even though our name bears a resemblance to the political party Action SA, we are not affiliated in any way.
