DOCUMENTS

Action Society takes legal action against Bheki Cele and SAPS

Action Society |
06 July 2022
This is after Minister Bheki Cele shouted at Ian Cameron, and then had him thrown from meeting

Action Society takes legal action against Bheki Cele and SAPS after meltdown in Gugulethu

6th July 2022

“Action Society and I will be laying four charges and complaints against Bheki Cele and the members of the South African Police Service who spinelessly removed me from yesterday’s community meeting held in Gugulethu,” said Ian Cameron, director of community safety at Action Society.

The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, yesterday shouted at Cameron to shut up and sit down after the Minister failed to answer questions about his inability to fulfil his constitutional mandate to protect South Africans against crime. Survivors and families of victims of gender-based violence mandated Action Society to speak on their behalf during the meeting. Police members then forcibly removed Cameron from the meeting.

Action Society will lodge a complaint with the Public Protector in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Bill and its Code of Conduct for Bheki Cele’s disgraceful conduct, failure to act in good faith and compromising the credibility and integrity of his office.

Secondly, Action Society will submit a complaint with the Office of the Registrar of Members’ Interests at Parliament for Bheki Cele’s breaches of parliament’s code of conduct in his capacity as a member of the legislator.

“We will lodge a third complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to investigate the misconduct by the members of the SAPS when they forcefully removed me from the meeting and wrongfully deprived me of my right to liberty and bodily integrity,” said Cameron. “Finally, I will lodge a criminal complaint against Bheki Cele and the SAPS members who physically accosted me.”

Action Society will continue to advocate and fight for the thousands of South Africans who are victims of Bheki Cele’s failures as the Minister of Police.

We encourage like-minded South Africans to support our petition to remove Cele from office at this link.

Issued by Action Society, 6 July 2022

Action Society refuses to sit down and shut up about crime – Cele forcefully throws Cameron from community meeting

5th July 2022

“Action Society will not sit down and shut up while crime in South Africa is out of control”, said Ian Cameron, director of community safety, after being forcefully removed by the SAPS from a community meeting between the Police Ministry and residents of Nyanga and Gugulethu in Cape Town.

Survivors and families of victims of gender-based violence mandated Action Society to speak on their behalf during the meeting.

During his turn to speak, Cameron invited the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to do patrols with the women from the area. He also took on the minister about his political anti-devolution statements about residents taking their safety into their own hands. Cele replied by going into a political tirade about freedom fighting and told Cameron to shut up and sit down. After Cameron refused, the SAPS forcefully removed him from the hall and escorted him to his car.

“Cele is once again abusing the police force for political gain and holding authority over ordinary citizens,” says Cameron. “The SAPS will never succeed in fighting crime if Cele stays in his position. Action Society will, however, continue to be a voice for the voiceless where the police neglect their duty.”

Action Society suggests the following solutions to crime in South Africa:

  1. Do a skills audit in the SAPS to determine the merit of appointments and sack members not appointed on merit.
  2. Polygraph all members – starting with leadership – to determine whether they have been involved in any corrupt activities; if so, sack them.
  3. Restore crime intelligence capabilities.
  4. Reinstate specialised units that can effectively deal with serious violent crime without living in the community where they work.
  5. Crime kingpins, including those with state connections, must be targeted and taken out of operation.
  6. Restore reservist capabilities, specifically to support specialised units. It is of utmost importance that these reservists do not come from the said communities for intimidation to be limited.
  7. Pay police members properly.
  8. Implement police devolution in the Western Cape as a proof of concept.

Cameron is considering laying a charge at Ipid – the police watchdog – and a charge of assault at the police.

Issued by Action Society, 5 July 2022

 

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