Cele vows to take the fight to criminals
SOUTH African cops are not softies; if thugs want to declare war against them, they will find one.
These were the tough words of Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday as he was officially welcomed back into the SAPS fold. He spoke to police officers at the Tshwane Police Academy in Pretoria, where a parade was hosted in his honour.
Cele served as the country’s police commissioner between 2009 and 2011, before he was fired from the position following former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s probe into the authorisation of a R500 million police lease for a Pretoria building.
Madonsela’s report found him guilty of improper conduct and maladministration for his role in the authorisation of the lease.
Also a former deputy minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Cele was appointed police minister last month during a latenight cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Known for his tough talk against criminals, Cele didn’t mince his words when he took to the podium yesterday.
“We are not going to share any space with criminals,” he said.
“This space belongs to the people of South Africa. This space belongs to the women of South Africa and children who cannot be terrorised and assaulted and have fear on walking on the streets of South Africa.”
He said criminals hell-bent on terrorising the people of South Africa did not have a space to live in the country.
“We are not here to share space with them. They must just try to get space somewhere where we won’t be able to reach them, because they are not able to reach us. If they stay that way that’s fine. Don’t come on our path,” he said.
Under his watch, no senior police officer will be expected to spend time in the office, but to be out and about fighting the scourge of crime.
“Our offices will be cold because not too many of us will sit in the offices.
“Starting from him (national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole) and me, we will be inviting you soon, taking our walks, tackling the places where we think it will make lives easier for South Africans,” Cele said.
Asked whether he was calling for the remilitarisation of the police, he rejected the statement, saying he had never called for the police militarisation before.
“What we called for is that the police (must be) trained to protect South Africans to make sure that they are safe. And for that we are saying maximise your training, maximise your equipment.
“We are not at war with the community of South Africa. We shall never be at war with the community of South Africa.
“But I want to say whoever declares war against us… he will find one,” he said.
Cele’s comments were echoed by Sitole, who said: “You heard the minister saying he had never called for any militarisation. I actually want to say he has called for a highly professionalised police service, as it is outlined in the National Development Plan.
“When you call for the highly professionalised police service, you are talking about the display of skills and competency and they need to display that in the execution of their duties which can never be called remilitarisation…”
Sitole praised Cele’s appointment as the political head of the ministry, saying it was not going to be difficult to work with him given his previous experience as the police commissioner.
“I won’t have a difficult job, because if I am speaking about the operational strategy my minister already understands.
“If I come up with any approach that seeks to provide a response to crime, he already understands,” he said.
He said Cele’s return had already boosted the morale of SAPS members because of his “contagious energy which urges one to go beyond the call of duty without hesitation”.
Cele said: “Sometimes we will take a very tough stance, and that tough stance is not militarisation.
“It is a response to people who think we are softies. We are not softies. And they will learn and they will learn soon in a hard way.”
He also warned police officers against exhibiting behaviour that could put the reputation of the SAPS in disrepute.
He instructed police officers to always show willingness to help any member of the community who came to their police station.
“Those people are there because they want your help. When they come and ask them ‘to send you’, you do just that. You are here to be sent by the people of South Africa,” he said to resounding applause, before he inspected the troops.