Leader of DA John Steenhuisen, DA Leader in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga and DA deputy federal chairperson Refiloe Ntsekhe at DA march in Pretoria. 06 Sepetember 2022. Picture by: Sibongumenzi Sibiya
A sea of blue filled the street in front of Minister of Police Bheki Cele’s office in Pretoria today amid calls for his removal.
Hundreds of marchers joined Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, provincial leader Solly Msimanga, Western Cape premier Alan Winde and members of Action Society as they called on Cele to go.
Steenhuisen said the DA had filed a motion of no confidence against the whole Cabinet.
“We believe they are a large part of why every m2etric in South Africa, from unemployment to job creation and economic growth, is moving in the wrong direction,” he said.
Steenhuisen said they were going after all the ministers who failed to perform.
“Just go, Cele. You have given up trying to fight crime, so for the sake of South Africa, just go,” he said.
Action Society’s Ian Cameron said the removal of Cele was one step in the right direction.
“Unfortunately, with the ANC influences with regards to law enforcement in the country, I don’t see major change happening. We need specialist units and reservists back,” he said.
“We have lost 60 000 reservists in this last decade.”
Cameron said one in every three police vehicles needed fixing.
“We have asked for a skills audit of the senior ranks of police to determine who was appointed according to merit and who was appointed because of political affiliation.
“And in the appointments because of political affiliation, they need to be sacked because they don’t deserve the uniform.”
Cameron said national-level police should undergo a polygraph to determine who was involved with corruption.
He said SA needed to make examples of corrupt policemen.
“My simple message to the minister is: we won’t shut up and won’t stop speaking up,” he said. Political analyst Piet Croucamp said it was time to remove Cele because he was damaging policing.
“The minister was a political appointment. “Removing him leading up to the elections was unfavourable. He comes from KwaZulu-Natal and has a history of mobilising against Jacob Zuma in the past.
“If they alienated him, he might do the same to President Cyril Ramaphosa – and Ramaphosa’s stakes are already difficult in KZN,” he said.
ALSO READ: ‘Police officers deserve better’ – DA launches #CeleMustGo campaign
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
