The civil rights organisation Action Society has stated it will be taking action against Police Minister Bheki Cele after a heated exchange between the organisation’s leader, Ian Cameron on Tuesday.
The very public spate took place during an event to address the mass shootings and rise in violent crimes in Gugulethu with footage from the event quickly going viral. During the exchange, Cele could be heard shouting “shut up” and “get out” before police officers forcibly removed Cameron from the venue.
“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,” Cameron said following the incident.
Action Society is set to lodge a complaint with the Public Protector in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Bill and its Code of Conduct, as per News24. Along with this, the organisation plans to take things one step further by submitting a complaint with Parliament’s Office of the Registrar of Members’ Interests.
According to the organisation, Cele has failed to act in good faith and compromised the credibility and integrity of his office.
Opposition parties appear to agree with many slamming the minister’s outburst and calling it an attempt to avoid responsibility when it comes to policing issues, reports EWN.
“The minister needs to start working with and not against Western Cape subnational government stakeholders, so that we can start making progress. He needs to stop this political theatre now,” said the DA’s spokesperson on community safety in the Western Cape, Gillion Bosman.
The FF Plus has also given its two cents and has called on Cele to apologise.
“He is supposed to set an example on how to act as minister of police. He is not fit to be the minister if he acts the way he did,” the party’s Pieter Groenewald indicated.
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WATCH: “Shut up,” Bheki Cele gets into screaming match with activist
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