Watch: Cele is ‘on tik’, Twitter says, after he blames WC hijackings on potholes

Police minister Bheki Cele lodged a passionate appeal to everyone to stop politicising crime in the country, right before blaming the increase in the number of hijackings in the DA-run Western Cape on poor road maintenance.

Cele was Speaking at police Imbizo in Mitchells Plain on Friday, addressing the community’s concerns about the constant scourge of crime.

The minister took particular offence at the province’s constant claims of being under-resourced, saying the Western Cape is the most resourced with over 200 additional members having been deployed to the province from other provinces and over R300 million spent on special operations.

He rejected claims of neglect, saying that the suggestion that government is not taking care of the province is “lies and disingenuous”, and argued that the reason for the increase in vehicle hijackings in certain hotspots in the province could be attributed to poor road surfaces instead of a lack of policing.

“Drop this thing of politicising the crime. Drop it! Drop it! Drop it!” Cele said.

“One crime that has gone up here in this province is car hijack and this car hijack happens in Nyanga, Khayelitsha – it happens because of potholes. I’m telling you.”

Cele claimed that potholes cause motorists to slow down, making them easy targets for hijackers.

Not everyone on social media bought Cele’s explanation though.

Also Read: Steenhuisen is a ‘brainless political thug’, says Cele over Phoenix election posters

Cele has managed to raise quite a few eyebrows this week, especially when he called DA leader John Steenhuisen a ‘brainless political thug’, after the latter endorsed his party’s controversial election campaign posters in Phoenix.

The posters read: “The ANC called you racists” and “The DA calls you heroes”.

This is in relation to the deaths of more than 30 people who were killed and more than 50 who were left injured in the area back in July during violent unrests that erupted after former president Jacob Zuma’s arrest.

The party later withdrew their posters and apologised.

ALSO READ: John Steenhuisen will not apologise for DA election posters in Phoenix