The fact that Police Minister Bheki Cele talks about war declarations when another minister with an armed protection detail gets robbed, while saying nothing when six children were shot – with two of them perishing – in the same 24 hours, confirms Cele’s prioritisation of politics over public safety. Him spearheading the “fight” against crime is a death sentence for civilians.
According to Ian Cameron, Director of Community Safety at Action Society, Cele has lost contact with reality. “He simply doesn’t know how it is for ordinary South Africans to live anymore. He resides in a safety bubble. I gladly repeat my invitation to him to come and walk with me, as an ordinary citizen, without his VIP blanket, in Eastridge in the Cape Flats where a seven-year-old boy was killed last night. From there we will walk in Malgas street in Wesbank where Kelly (13) died and four of her friends were shot in the crossfire of a gang shooting on Monday.”
“If a minister with an armed VIP Protection Team can be overpowered by four robbers, what chance do ordinary people have? At the moment, a manhunt is underway to catch the suspects who robbed the minister. Where is the manhunt to track down little Kelly and the little seven-year-old’s murderers?”
South Africans live in a war zone every day. If Cele doesn’t have the will or skill to develop and implement a strategy against crime that ensures the safety of all South Africans, he must step aside.
Image by mdjaff on Freepik
