DA to lay ethics complaint against Cele over stopping Camps Bay ad shoot (video)

The DA says it will be laying an ethics complaint against Police Minister Bheki Cele after he allegedly ordered police officers to shut down a film shoot at Camps Bay beach on Wednesday.

According to the DA, Cele instructed 16 police officers to shut down the shoot, despite the filming crew being in possession of a legal permit from the City of Cape Town.

“We believe that these instructions by Cele was an overreach of his powers as police minister and that he is not legally authorised to issue operational instructions to members of the [South African Police Service] SAPS,” the DA’s spokesperson on police, Andrew Whitfield, said in a statement.

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On Wednesday, Cele said that while the shoot was permitted by the City of Cape Town, upon closer inspection, the production was not compliant with what’s permitted on beaches, as stipulated on the Covid-19 regulations.

“According to the permit of the production company that was handed to the SAPS, the production would go against the very rules set out by the president which are clear on what is permitted on beaches and therefore could not be allowed to continue for now,” he added.

@SAPoliceService minister Bheki Cele has called off a commercial filmed at Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town. The commercial organisers said they were given a permit by the @CityofCT.

@IOL @TheCapeArgus @mandietshwete @DailyVoiceSA pic.twitter.com/KNEynYY7jC

— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) December 16, 2020

However, according to Whitfield, Cele appeared to be confused as to whether he was the Minister of Police or the national police commissioner.

“This is exactly what happens when politicians are unduly referred to as ‘general’,” added Whitfield.

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City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said they would get an urgent court interdict against the police so that the shoot could continue.

Location manager for the production, Derek Raeburn, said they would not wait for for the court’s decision because they were losing valuable shooting time.

He said they would have to find another location.

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