Cele playing cops and surfers on the beach while South Africans live in fear of real criminals
06 January 2021
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns in the strongest terms the announcement made by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, that members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will today be roped in to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) with patrolling beaches in the Garden Route.
It is well known that South Africa suffers from an extremely high crime rate. Rape, gender-based violence, murder, farm attacks and gang warfare are all but out of control. Just yesterday, a vigilante mob attacked and beheaded two suspected gang members in Durban, while last Tuesday 11-year-old Kgothatso Tshabalala was stabbed to death in Mamelodi, allegedly by a man angry at her mother. Every day, community papers on the Cape Flats carry more stories of innocent men, women and children caught in gang crossfire while going about their everyday lives.
[MUST WATCH] @SAPoliceService in Langebaan in the West Coast arrest a surfer on the beach for contravention of the Disaster Management Act. All beaches except those in the Northern Cape remain closed under the adjusted #Level3Lockdown #WearAMask pic.twitter.com/bSvQXaCsST
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) January 6, 2021
It is under circumstances such as this that Minister Cele chooses to prioritise the chasing down of surfers on the beach and the confrontation of sunbathers and joggers on promenades. The DA has for years requested the deployment of the SANDF in gang-ridden areas of the Cape Flats, but these requests have always fallen on deaf ears. This is indicative of Minister Cele’s skewed priorities.