Action Society today called for the current Police Minister, Bheki Cele, to be on the cut-list after the ANC lost 71 seats in Cabinet following their dismal election performance. “Bheki Cele’s performance simply doesn’t cut it and it is time for him to be cut from the equation,” said Action Society’s Juanita du Preez.
“We would like to see someone that the public and good police officers can trust to lead the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the fight against crime in South Africa. Someone who is not afraid to tackle corruption within the ranks of SAPS and who will manage resources responsibly.”
Action Society believes Cele should never have been appointment as police minister, because of his involvement in illicit activities. In 2011, Cele was fired as the National Police Commissioner following serious allegations of corruption involving the building vendors, Roux Shabungu, in a R1.7 billion leasing scandal that included leases for the SAPS headquarters. Despite that, he was appointed as Minister of Police in 2018. At the Zondo Commission in 2019, a South African Crime Intelligence Unit (CI) operative Colonel Dhanajaya Naidoo, alleged that Cele was one of the politicians who strong-armed law enforcement into protecting their illicit activities. Cele was reportedly linked to a corruption ring, run by CI. The lid on a cauldron of corruption at CI was lifted by a Hawks investigator, who pointed to Cele, former police minister Nathi Mthewthwa and a high-profile journalist as benefiting from the financial abuse of CI. Cele can also be linked to Panganathan Marimuthu, a disgraced former officer reportedly involved in a drug trafficking operation to whom Cele awarded tenders when he was MEC for Transport in KZN.
As minister of police, Cele’s only record is one of failure. Cele has not only failed to protect the public but also the many good cops that have died under his watch as the country sees a spike in police killings. Most of these cops are being killed in areas where they are most needed, leaving those communities even more vulnerable.
“If the ANC decides to bring Cele back, it will confirm just how high the Cele corruption ring reaches.”
