‘Refrain from abusing it’: Cele furious after his phone number was leaked on social media

“Refrain from abusing the number. You are stopping serious calls that might come through,” a furious police minister Bheki Cele told the public this week after his cellphone number was leaked on social media. 

Cele’s number was leaked by police service whistleblower Patricia Mashale on Twitter. 

The minister said his phone has been ringing non-stop, and when he answers the callers drop the calls.

“From yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon, I was wondering what happened. My phone’s temperature went up because it was ringing and ringing. As I tried picking up, everybody dropped the call. Some people would answer and said they wanted to make sure it was my number,” said Cele.

“That number is very serious. People in trouble call that number. I am calling on South Africans to refrain from abusing it.”

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Cele said he had never met Mashale.

He said he had been informed about the alleged corruption claims in the police service she had revealed, and he had contacted her but did not know her.

“I’ve never met her. We have spoken with her. I repeat, my doors are open to speak with her. It will be better for all of us, including ourselves, not to shout on TV, not to shout on radio stations but to sit down and listen to the matters and then we see how we address [them],” said Cele.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Lizzy Suping told eNCA the directorate has instituted investigations into the allegations made by Mashale and other officers.

She said they met with the complainants in April and are working on the report.

“Our investigation established that some of the legitimate concerns raised by some disgruntled workers were not addressed and therefore we are working on a recommendation report that will be sent to the police service to action our recommendations.”

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