Police ministry mum on Cele’s Durban trip as Zuma’s arrest deadline looms

All eyes are on Police Minister Bheki Cele and Mational Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole as the nation waits to see if they will enforce the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma by midnight on Wednesday.

Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, on Wednesday said that he (Cele) was in Durban but could not say if he was there to carry out the arrest or not,

“That I suggest that you refer the matter to the South African Police Services (Saps) because they are the ones who make arrests after all,” Themba said.

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On Monday, Cele wrote to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to seeking clarity on whether they should carry out the arrest or wait for Zuma’s legal application to be finalised.

He said should there be no response by the court he would arrest Zuma.

“It is our clients’ view that the pending litigation has a direct impact on the action they should take in terms of the court order,” the state attorney said in the letter to the ConCourt on behalf of Cele and Sitole.

“In view of the unique situation presented by the development and the legal matrix involved, our clients will, out of respect of the unfolding of litigation the processes [sic], hold further actions they are expected to take in terms of the honourable court’s order, in abeyance.”