National shutdown: Cele ready to fill overcrowded prisons with protesters [video]

Police Minister Bheki Cele has told police officers to fill the country’s prisons even if they are overcrowded with anybody that breaks the law during the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) national shutdown.

Cele assured South Africans that the anarchy, unrest and violence that took place during the July riots in 2021 will not happen during the EFF’s protest.

The minister was addressing South African Police Services (Saps) officers in Mayfair on Friday.

Watch the video of Cele calling on police officers to fill overcrowded prisons:

State of readiness

Cele was joined by the National Commissioner of Saps General Fannie Masemola and Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, to conduct a visit of Gauteng operations ahead of the red berets protest.

The aim of the visit was to assess and ensure that Gauteng officers are ready to police the planned EFF shutdown that is set to take place on Monday, 20 March 2023.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Ramaphosa warns EFF ‘anarchy and disorder won’t be tolerated’

High alert

Cele told the police they must be on high alert.

“In July 2021, if you had taken off, that is not going to happen again in your own presence. When you are there, South Africans must be safe, their property must be safe, everybody must be safe.

“Therefore, provincial commissioner – I command that these forces, this multi-disciplinary approach that I see here… you go and do your job, the nation calls, the nation is calling on you,” Cele said.

Watch the video of Cele saying police will be on high alert

Fill the prisons

Cele also urged to officers to act with restraint.

“With minimum forces, try by all means not to injure any human being whichever side they are on that particular day. But you have a right to fill the prisons.

“Therefore, national and provincial commissioner, all the police must be on standby and make sure that anybody that gets out of the law, you put him there. If there is no space, still put them there. If there is no place to sleep, they must sleep standing.

“But make sure that everybody that breaks the law, the law takes it course and the law does not retreat,” Cele said.

ALSO READ: ‘National shutdown may not be violent’: EFF using social media as a tactic to instill fear