Cele: We cannot run the country with criminality

Police minister Bheki Cele has repeated his call for police to deal with lawlessness in the country, admitting SA is filled with criminals.

At the funeral service of late Warrant Officer Sthembiso Mazibuko at the weekend, Cele said criminals needed to be found and dealt with. Sthembiso died last week in a shootout at a house in Ntuzuma C Section, KZN.

“Criminals must not be given any oxygen. You must rise and put it to rest. You must go back for answers. There must be no peace for criminals. We demand there must be no peace.

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“National commissioner, deputies, provincial commissioner: give them the tools, give them the space, give them the time, give them the command to go and hunt every piece of criminal and find them in whatever hole they are in. Flush them out.”

He said the country was overrun with criminals, and officers needed to get a grip on the crisis.

“We cannot run the country with criminality.”

Cele must go? He says it is jealousy

Cele has faced constant calls to resign or fired over SA’s crime crisis.

Speaking to The Citizen last week, Cele claimed those demanding his head were jealous.

“The only thing I can say is that it is jealousy. Some people might be pushing back. Part of crime is propaganda against those who fight against it,” he said.

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ANC peace and stability subcommittee chair Polly Boshielo said the committee was assisting Cele to do his job.

“It is us who said we do not want lawlessness and we are working very hard to make sure that we are winning against crime.

“Our task is to make sure our people are safe in their country. They do not have any home except South Africa so they need to be comfortable here.”