Minister of Police Bheki Cele. Picture: Neil McCartney
Police Minister Bheki Cele went back on the warpath while simultaneously brandishing an olive branch when he was welcomed back into the arms of the South African Police Service (Saps) yesterday during a special parade in his honour.
“Whoever declares war on us, on innocent communities, women and children, the elderly – uzoyithola impi [they will get war]. You want war, you will get war. You want peace, you will get peace,” Cele promised.
“We are not going to share any space with criminals. The space is too small. It cannot be shared. This space belongs to the safe community of South Africa. This space belongs to the women and children of South Africa that cannot be terrorised or assaulted,” he said.
There was more in similar vein from Cele’s speech, which was high in rhetoric but low on plans. Which is just where the major problem comes in, said senior research consultant with the Institute for Security Studies, Dr Johan Burger.
“The rhetoric gets in the way of effective policing in that it draws away from what really should be done, or what really matters,” Burger said.
“For example, statements about police using their guns and so on, the law already provides for that. It’s not necessary to say these things although he’s more responsible now in how he conveys his message. He does now qualify his statements of ‘don’t die with your gun in your hand’ and so on with ‘always act within the law’, so that’s some improvement.”
However, it’s a case of one step forward and two steps back with Cele.
“When he said criminals are not human and should not have human rights, that was disturbing,” said Burger. “That is a very dangerous thing to say because our constitution allocates rights to everybody, including criminals. I don’t think it’s the right kind of thing for our minister to say because those involved in the protection of human rights will now pick on those issues and it then casts a cloud over everything he may be doing.”
Burger said it was then deputy minister Susan Shabangu who originally called for “police to shoot to kill” and it had subsequently been attributed to Cele. “You must kill the bastards if they threaten you or the community. You must not worry about the regulations. That is my responsibility. Your responsibility is to serve and protect,” Shabangu said in April 2008.
There was another area for potential conflict, this time in-house as Cele learns the ropes of being a political head while keeping his hands off operational matters.
“Cele has an extremely strong personality and a presence about him that attracts those who he works with. This is why I think he is so popular among police officers, but of course his role is different now. That might be good but has the potential to go bad,” Burger said.
The danger was he could overshadow national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole. “I hope this is not going to happen because Sitole doesn’t look like he has the same kind of dynamic physical presence as Cele.
“But he is an experienced officer and I think he enjoys some respect in the police,” Burger said. “The two of them will have to find a good working relationship. Fikile Mbalula almost overruled the national commissioner. He took charge in a way that is not acceptable for the political head of the police.”
Thumbing nose at his critics
National commissioner General Khehla Sitole rolled out the red carpet for Bheki Cele, and brass was the order of the day yesterday in Pretoria as senior police managers from national, provincial and cluster level from around the country came to praise Cele.
The podium was bracketed by vehicles from specialised units such as the dog unit, water wing, public order policing, special task force and a helicopter from the air wing.
Cele and Sitole were brought out from behind the stands on a little buggy towed by a beautiful white horse from the mounted unit. The watching brass weren’t too sure what too make of the sight and a nervous giggle rippled softly through the stands until Cele didn’t so much as mount the podium, as own it.
After a quick inspection march through of the assembled platoons before him from the mounted unit, tactical response, the police brass band, members of the dog unit (he didn’t get too close to them), it was time for the final scene: a fly past.
This was performed by the Saps air wing with a Pilatus PC-6 Porter plane and two Hughes 500 helicopters.
If ever there was a thumbing of the nose at his critics, this was it.
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