Twitter reacts to Bheki Cele being appointed police minister

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle on Monday night, which saw General Bheki Cele replace Fikile Mbalula as the minister of police, South Africans on Twitter have been sharing their reactions to Cele’s appointment, with #BhekiCele now trending on the social media platform.

However, the reactions to his appointment are mixed, with some expressing their confidence in the general and that his appointment would result in a revitalised police force that would address high levels of crime effectively and others sharing their concerns about the fact that Cele was suspended as commissioner of police a few years ago.

Cele was suspended as commissioner of police by former President Jacob Zuma after the then public protector, Thuli Madonsela, found that his involvement in a controversial lease deal for police headquarters was “improper, unlawful and amounted to maladministration”.

Before his appointment as national commissioner of the South African Police Service, Cele was the MEC for transport, community safety and liaison in KZN.

As an MEC, Cele was at the forefront in the fight against taxi violence within the province and pioneered the campaign, ‘Catching Crime on the Highway’, and was behind another called ‘Zero Tolerance to 100% Compliance in KwaZulu-Natal’.

Cele made headlines when he advocated for members of the police force to “shoot to kill” criminals without worrying about “what happens after that” as a way of addressing violent crime.

Since his removal as commissioner, there have been calls on social media for Cele’s reappointment, leading to the #BringBackBhekiCele.

Since the tragic fatal shooting of Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, many in the Twitterverse have shared the view that Cele’s return to the police ministry would lead to the arrest of those behind Meyiwa’s murder.

Here are some tweets on Cele’s appointment as minister of police: