Cele slams Malema claim he offered to help pay funeral costs

Police Minister Bheki Cele on Monday denied claims by EFF leader Julius Malema he promised to assist Mthokozisi Ntumba’s family with burial arrangements and payments, saying these allegations were false and misleading.

“It is an absolutely heartless move by any political party or its leadership to lie to its followers and to the nation by using the pain of a family who suffered such a devastating loss of a father, husband and breadwinner to push a political agenda in a desperate attempt to gain political mileage,” Cele said in a statement.

Ntumba, a 35-year-old father of three, was shot and killed last week in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, allegedly by police firing rubber bullets at a group of Wits University students protesting financial exclusion.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) watchdog on Monday arrested four public order policing unit members in connection with the killing.

WATCH: Malema wants rubber bullets declared unconstitutional

Malema on Sunday visited Ntumba’s family in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, to send his condolences and offer support.

After his visit, he told supporters Cele had reneged on promises to help the family during his visit last Thursday with the police top brass.

“What makes matters worse is that the family is now being asked questions about the things that they need, as they don’t have funeral policies to contribute to the funeral because Bheki Cele made a promise and left them with a contact, who is now asking the family all sorts of things, which is unnecessary,” Malema said.

In response, Cele hit back at the EFF leader, saying the purpose of his visit was to pay condolences to the family and to demonstrate a commitment to cooperate with the Ipid investigation.

“Minister Cele puts on record that while visiting the bereaved Ntumba family he assured them the South African Police Service would cooperate fully with Ipid investigations into the death of Mthokozisi Ntumba,” Cele spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said.

“The Ntumba family received the Minister well and also expressed their appreciation for the government’s commitment to finding justice. Minister Cele urged the family to get in touch with him on his mobile number, as well as the number of his spokesperson, Ms Lirandzu Themba, if the family experienced any difficulties leading up to the investigations of the case.

“There has not been a call from the family to this effect.”

Themba added that Cele did not at any point discuss funeral arrangements with the family.

“Neither did the family at this early stage in their bereavement, express specific financial needs to the minister,” she said.

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