‘Denial’ Cele must be fired, says DA

The violence which people continue to suffer from at the hands of members of the SA Police Service (SAPS) is out of control, reckons the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Following the death of civilian Mthokozisi Ntumba outside Wits University campus on Wednesday, the party has since called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to sack Police Minister Bheki Cele.

The party said that Cele remains in complete denial about the toxic culture of brutality which exists under his leadership.

“The minister yesterday [Thursday] dismissed the incident as though it was a rare occurrence by inferring that this police officer was just one rotten apple,” said DA’s MP and Shadow Minister of Police Andrew Whitfield.

“The experience of hundreds of thousands of South Africans across the country during lockdown is that SAPS is rotten to the core. Over and above the obvious toxic culture of brutality within the SAPS under his watch, Minister Cele has failed to achieve any improvements with the SAPS during his tenure.”

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On Thursday Cele became a “moemish of the moment” during an interview with news anchor Xoli Mngambi when he admitted that he did not know who the head of Crime Intelligence is in the country.

The DA has since pondered this as one of the reasons along with that of tensions between the minister and his Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole as to why Ramaphosa should fire the minister.

“This leadership crisis at SAPS is the direct responsibility of President Ramaphosa from which he cannot run away. It is the president who appointed Minister Cele and the national police commissioner, it is therefore only the president who can fix this crisis.”

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