Former Police Minister Bheki Cele. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Former police minister Bheki Cele says he’s “scared of nobody” after allegedly receiving a lot of threats since leaving office in June.
In an interview on Tuesday evening, Cele told SABC’s Face of the Nation host Clement Manyathela that he is “scared of nobody and nothing” after being asked about threats made against him during his time as police minister.
Cele was given his marching orders after he didn’t make it onto the list of ANC members who returned to Parliament after the May elections.
The former minister said he has received “a lot” of threats since leaving office, including a break-in at his home.
“I have reported to the police. I have seen the cars that are following me, and I’ve reported it to the [KwaZulu-Natal] provincial commissioner. At one time, he sent people to the house at about 1am because there was a break-in at the house,” Cele said.
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He said some items were stolen and the matter was reported to the Durban North police.
Cele added that although suspects have not been arrested, the stolen items were recovered because one of the suspects encountered the police and private security while fleeing the scene and threw the items away.
The former minister conceded that the circumstances are nerve-wracking for his wife and children, but he entered the portfolio knowing that the police minister’s post was not a “job for roses”.
“It is a package of the job. It comes with it, with a full understanding that this is not permanent. You are not going to be a minister until Jesus comes back,” he said.
Cele said he had the opportunity to request a three-month extension for his security detail, and he declined because “I’m fine”. Despite this, he supports the idea of extended security details for security cluster officials.
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The former minister said the government should look into what happens to officials in the security cluster who deal with dangerous people after they leave office.
He used the example of the recent clampdown on dangerous criminals, such as gang leaders and drug lords in the Western Cape, by current police minister, Senzo Mchunu.
Earlier this month, underworld kingpin Mark Lifman was killed at a shopping mall in the Western Cape.
Lifman died of multiple gunshot wounds from a high-calibre rifle to the face and chest in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall in George on 3 November.
The hit took place a day before Lifman was due back in the dock at the Western Cape High Court in connection with the 18 August 2017 murder of “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein.
“Maybe rather than speaking about Cele in that matter, it will have to be looked at what do we do going forward to those people that have dealt with those kinds of people for a long time,” he said.
Cele suggested that the police need to target the underground “big guys” and arrest them instead of just dealing with the “small guys”.
ALSO READ: Bye bye Bheki: Police Minister thanks South Africans on last day in office [VIDEO]
On his last day in office in August, Cele thanked South Africans for their support.
“[I thank] the people of South Africa, especially my organisation, the African National Congress, and those that allowed me to be a minister,” he said.
He also encouraged his successor to put the public first and to remember that “the walk is still long”.
“It’s not about us, it is not about position. It is about putting the most effort, to put the shoulder on the wheel for the betterment of the lives of the people of South Africa,” Cele said.
The former minister spent his last day in office awarding medals to long-serving officers at a medal parade at the Saps Tshwane Academy.
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