Social media accounts in Minister Cele’s name are fake – police
Minister Bheki Cele has no social media account, be it private or official.
The ministry of police has denounced any social media account in Minister General Bheki Cele’s name as fake.
This comes after the police ministry noted with concern the more than 160 social media accounts allegedly belonging to the minister.
Acting police ministry spokesperson, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, said there are more than 160 accounts across Twitter and Facebook bearing profiles and pictures of Cele and his particulars.
“The police has noted with concern the proliferation of social media accounts purported to be belonging to Minister Cele, even after a warning was issued by his office two years ago against such fake social media accounts.
“The minister has no social media account, be it private or official.”
Peters said Cele has issued a stern warning to those impostors “whose motive for impersonating the minister cannot be for anything else but to draw unsuspecting social media users into their criminal activities”.
She said investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) are currently underway and at an advanced stage.
“The investigation is to identify and locate these fake account operators, and bring them to book.”
Peters said in the many accounts there are some pictures from about ten years ago when the minister was still the national commissioner of the SAPS.
“One such account has just under 60 000 followers who wrongfully believe they are following and interacting with Minister Cele, which is not the case.
“It is worth noting that a number of crimes have been solved through tip-offs and through confidential information provided telephonically to Minister Cele by members of the public. It is on this same principle that some citizens, who are active on social media, may want to share similar anonymous tip-offs, only for such information to fall into the hands of these impostors.”
Peters said this in itself poses a risk on personal safety and the lives of law-abiding citizens whose intention is to work and collaborate with the police on crime prevention and combating.
“The ministry of police confirms that Minister General Bheki Cele is neither registered as a user nor active on any social media platform whatsoever.
The ministry further wished to advise members of the public that all official communication on matters of the ministry of police will be communicated accordingly by their office through official SAPS channels.
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