‘Time for citizens to force Ramaphosa to dump Cele’

Public disapproval can often be kindled to the boil over trivial issues, while critical ones are ignored because they seem to be too big and complex for an individual.

A canny leader, like President Cyril Ramaphosa, can play this score like a maestro. Show some humility on the inconsequential while being steadfastly undeterred in your pursuit of the potentially disastrous.

Take the monumental flagpole that would cost R20 million. Or the regulatory change that allows Cabinet ministers unlimited free electricity and water, previously capped at R5 000 a month, which would cost an extra R87 million annually. On both, Ramaphosa quickly capitulated when it became clear that the fuss wasn’t going to die down quickly.

On the issues that matter, however, Ramaphosa remains as deaf as a post. This lack of urgency, or courage, is shown in the immunity that even the most useless of his ministers has from being fired.

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Perhaps the most baffling survivor is Bheki Cele. That he still holds what is arguably the most important ministerial portfolio, despite a dangerously dismal performance, is testimony to Ramaphosa’s vulnerability. He clearly believes that he dares not dump Cele.

It was during the Covid lockdowns that Cele’s bullying personality was fully revealed. He revelled in the “hard lockdown”, encouraging his goons to act forcefully. According to an Institute for Security Studies study of police statistics, during the first 40 days of the lockdown, 32 people were killed by the SA Police Service (Saps), 25 were tortured and 589 were assaulted. About 230 000 were arrested and charged for infringements of petty Covid regulations.

In response to the killing of Collins Khosa, beaten to death in his back garden by soldiers working alongside the police in a lockdown operation, his family brought an urgent application asking for a ruling that the security forces should abide by the laws of the land and the provisions of the Bill of Rights.

In finding in the family’s favour, Judge Hans Fabricius warned that the police and military were sowing distrust, eroding the social contract between government and governed. Unless the citizenry took responsibility to protect their rights, “a wasteland and social unrest awaits us”.

Barely a year later, Fabricius’ warning was borne out. The police, previously so gung-ho when singling out for bullying and brutalising individuals who had broken minor Covid regulations, put its head down and cowered when rioting, orchestrated as a response to the jailing of Jacob Zuma, wracked KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng.

Despite the aggressive bluster, Cele has been the worst police minister of all time. After almost a dozen previous years of decline in serious crime levels, the statistics have worsened every year since his appointment – except for a momentary dip during the 2020 lockdown. The reality is far worse than the published statistics.

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With less than a quarter of those polled having any trust in Saps, research further shows that only two-thirds of hijackings are reported. Immeasurably more important than flagpoles and ministerial perks – and ultimately more threatening than rolling power cuts and water shortages – is the collapse of the police service. That is the direct responsibility of Cele.

Since Ramaphosa doesn’t consider this to be a matter of any great import, he should be prodded until he reacts. As Fabricius said in his judgment, it’s up to individual South Africans to force the government to meet its social compact obligations.