Cele claims police thwarted security threats that made July riots ‘look like a Sunday picnic’

National Police Minister Bheki Cele says South Africans should have faith in the police because officers thwarted further attempts to destabilise the state after the disastrous 2021 July riots.

Cele, who was speaking on Talk Radio 702, said not much has been said in the press about that particular policing win, but he revealed that SAPS had been instrumental in preventing another massive shutdown that was planned for August 2021.

He was responding to findings made by the three-member South African Human Rights Council expert panel appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to review the government’s response to the July unrest.

The panel found that the government had ‘unequivocally failed’ to protect citizens who took up arms to defend themselves, neighbourhoods and businesses against violent mobs.

Cele, while acknowledging the devastating impact of the violent looting orgy that brought KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng to its knees, said police had in fact prevented events in the following months that would have made the July unrest ‘look like a Sunday picnic.’

Where are the convictions Minister?

Cele’s explanation about this so-called threat was void of any tangible information, but he assured citizens that police had in fact stopped a second national shutdown that had been planned for August last year.

“There have been more serious threats that were repelled and stopped,” said Cele.

When asked to explain why police had not been able to secure a single criminal conviction in relation to the planning and instigating of the attack, Cele was quick to pass the buck to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“I have given 19 names of people, 19 people were arrested, some cases were withdrawn and 17 are out on bail,” he said.

“I am not the NPA. 5 000 people were arrested, 50 were convicted, and 2 000 cases are still in court. The people in Phoenix have been arrested,” he added.

He also had to clarify a statement he made about people with tattoos not being able to work for the police ‘because they are gangsters.’

Cele said he was referring to a SAPS recruitment policy that forbade police to have visible tattoos.

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