I’m glad you’re interim leader not permanent DA leader, Cele tells Steenhuisen

“I’m glad that you’re interim DA leader because you can’t become a permanent leader of the DA,” Minister of Police Bheki Cele said in parliament, highlighting that the DA allegedly undermined the law in certain aspects.

Cele, during his address to parliament during the State of the Nation address debate, highlighted that there was a pertinent issue that needed addressing, which was crime committed by foreign nationals.

This, according to Cele, needed addressing as two officers had been gunned down by undocumented foreign nationals.

Admitting that police were looking into the matter, Cele said police had sent 312 officers for training on a basic understanding of gender-based violence, and special units would be assigned to focus on economic criminality.

Cele then turned his sights on the DA’s interim leader, John Steenhuisen. Cele said he was flabbergasted by Steenhuisen’s suggestion on the police-to-population ratio, during day one of the debate.

The interim leader said the police-to-population ratio had not improved since president Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2018 Sona speech.

Steenhuisen said: “The distribution of resources to police station level… will include personnel and other resources, to restore capacity and experience at the level at which crime is most effectively combated.

“The reality, however, is that the police-to-population ratio actually worsened to one police officer for every 375 citizens, leaving communities even more vulnerable and unsafe… Whilst our communities are locked in the brutal grip of a violent crime wave sweeping our nation, this government is spending R1.5 billion on VIP protection for politicians.

“You cannot say you are serious about fighting crime and resourcing stations when you are misdirecting so much money and resources to protecting yourselves and keeping your families safe, while our citizens are being left to fend for themselves.”

Cele retaliated by saying he wished Steenhuisen never becomes a permanent leader of the DA.

“I’m glad that you’re an interim leader because you can’t become permanent,” Cele said to a laughing audience.

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