Ramaphosa must stop Cele from capturing SAPS

9 March 2022

The DA has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa asking him to instruct Police Minister Bheki Cele to withdraw his request to the current National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, to provide him with handover reports on active police investigations. No politician, including President Ramaphosa, should receive any information on active SAPS investigations.

This follows media reports that Minister Cele has written to General Sitole requesting a comprehensive handover report including “major and high-profile cases”.

Not even the President is entitled to receive dockets on active police investigations. It is highly irregular and an example of gross political interference into the operations of the SAPS. It demonstrates the extent of the Minister’s delusional sense of authority. He still believes that he has the same powers as a National Police Commissioner and has not yet figured out how to be a Minister.

The DA believes that all handover reports for General Sitole’s successor must be handed over directly to this individual. The report is likely to contain names of ANC cronies and politically exposed business people under investigation by the Hawks for their role in state capture. This move by Minister Cele goes against all promises by Ramaphosa to fight state capture. In fact, this is just another way to further capture the state and its institutions.

We urge the President to do the right thing and establish a firewall against political interference in the SAPS. The DA has long argued that there is simply no justifiable reason to keep Minister Cele in Cabinet and this latest move by the Minister is yet another reason for the President to fire him.

Issued by Andrew Whitfield, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 9 March 2022