Cele’s announcement on ‘blasphemy’ smacks of a whitewash

Sometimes, it seems as though ANC leaders take people for fools. Like Minister Thulas Nxesi, who said, with a straight face, the pool at Nkandla was for fire prevention. And he was supported by the then police minister, Riah Phiyega, who said it was “well known” that people in rural areas used buckets of water to put out fires.

We have to wonder, then, about Police Minister Bheki Cele’s announcement yesterday that the policeman who allegedly blasphemed by using the name of the Muslim prophet, Muhammad, in arresting people illegally gathered to pray, had been cleared of the accusation.

The reason? Apparently, the cop was not referring to the prophet, he was referring to some man named Mohammed, who was present during the arrest.

This was the outcome of a police investigation, according to the minister.

We are not in the least suggesting the minister is incorrect, but it would certainly help ease our nagging worry that this may have been a police whitewash if we could see minutes of the disciplinary hearing.

For example, it is not unreasonable to ask: was the Mohammed cited by the cop actually called to give evidence?

Those minutes are probably classified because SA is involved in a war.

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