Police minister Bheki Cele has urged law enforcement officers to enforce the law but withstand provocation after Julius Malema’s “war statement” ahead of Monday’s national shutdown.
Cele said the EFF leader's call for protesters to “attack” was dangerous and irresponsible.
“One thing that I’m beginning to detect is that there is a lot of provocation. Somebody yesterday issued a statement that their people must attack: that’s a war statement. So you can’t cry foul and say people are hard on you when you make a war statement,” said the minister.
“He said they must not use their phones or social media, but they must use person to person and ... attack. He did not explain who to attack nor define the attack: whether that’s ordinary people who will be on the road or at the shops. It’s a broad statement [and I would love law enforcement to investigate that statement].”
Cele, with national SAPS commissioner Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi addressed security cluster members, including the SAPS, metro police and community policing forums during a police parade in KwaMashu on Saturday.
The aim of his visit was to check the police’s state of readiness ahead of Monday's event.
Cele sought to dispel rumours that the government, law enforcement in particular, had declared war on citizens. He said the right to protest was guided by the constitution, but their duty was to ensure no one overstepped the mark.
“There has been a call to say there is a war declared: there is no war declared. As the government and law enforcement we can’t declare war against our people. The constitution allows all South Africans to protest and raise their grievances, but there are limitations.
“Those limitations are that you don’t march armed, don’t destroy property and don’t interfere with the rights of other people. That’s where we come in as law enforcement. Even those who are marching have the right to be protected.”
He said law enforcement should ensure protesters do not interfere with those who choose to go to work or operate their businesses.
He urged police to exercise restraint to ensure minimal chances of violence, but to not be afraid of arresting those who break the law.
“We should be at a level of minimum or completely eradicate (any) sort of violence and people getting injured, but I don’t have a problem if you fill up prisons. Anybody who breaks the law has got new accommodation in prison. If there is no space to sleep, [they can] sleep standing.
He said a multidisciplinary approach that included private security would be used on Monday.
Cele added that the state of readiness visit would cover the entire eThekwini region. After visiting KwaMashu, the delegation headed for Phoenix, before checking roadblocks already in place in areas such as Inanda, followed by visits to Dumisani Makhaye in the west and Umlazi in the south.
He said among his reasons for visiting Phoenix was to urge people to avoid the racial tensions that emerged there during the July 2021 unrest.
He refused to disclose areas earmarked as hotspots, but said law enforcement would be on guard countrywide.
“The concern will be for the country (because) [EFF leader Julius Malema did not divulge a start and end place]. He did speak about time. He said it would be a minute after midnight, but unfortunately for him, we started yesterday. He will find us going forward.”
Cele said security leaders were satisfied order would prevail, but warned: “We’re here to enforce the law. The law must be enforced and it must be upheld.”
Enforce law but don't be provoked by 'war talk', Cele tells law enforcement officers ahead of national shutdown
Image: Lwazi Hlangu
Police minister Bheki Cele has urged law enforcement officers to enforce the law but withstand provocation after Julius Malema’s “war statement” ahead of Monday’s national shutdown.
Cele said the EFF leader's call for protesters to “attack” was dangerous and irresponsible.
“One thing that I’m beginning to detect is that there is a lot of provocation. Somebody yesterday issued a statement that their people must attack: that’s a war statement. So you can’t cry foul and say people are hard on you when you make a war statement,” said the minister.
“He said they must not use their phones or social media, but they must use person to person and ... attack. He did not explain who to attack nor define the attack: whether that’s ordinary people who will be on the road or at the shops. It’s a broad statement [and I would love law enforcement to investigate that statement].”
Cele, with national SAPS commissioner Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi addressed security cluster members, including the SAPS, metro police and community policing forums during a police parade in KwaMashu on Saturday.
The aim of his visit was to check the police’s state of readiness ahead of Monday's event.
Cele sought to dispel rumours that the government, law enforcement in particular, had declared war on citizens. He said the right to protest was guided by the constitution, but their duty was to ensure no one overstepped the mark.
“There has been a call to say there is a war declared: there is no war declared. As the government and law enforcement we can’t declare war against our people. The constitution allows all South Africans to protest and raise their grievances, but there are limitations.
“Those limitations are that you don’t march armed, don’t destroy property and don’t interfere with the rights of other people. That’s where we come in as law enforcement. Even those who are marching have the right to be protected.”
He said law enforcement should ensure protesters do not interfere with those who choose to go to work or operate their businesses.
He urged police to exercise restraint to ensure minimal chances of violence, but to not be afraid of arresting those who break the law.
“We should be at a level of minimum or completely eradicate (any) sort of violence and people getting injured, but I don’t have a problem if you fill up prisons. Anybody who breaks the law has got new accommodation in prison. If there is no space to sleep, [they can] sleep standing.
He said a multidisciplinary approach that included private security would be used on Monday.
Cele added that the state of readiness visit would cover the entire eThekwini region. After visiting KwaMashu, the delegation headed for Phoenix, before checking roadblocks already in place in areas such as Inanda, followed by visits to Dumisani Makhaye in the west and Umlazi in the south.
He said among his reasons for visiting Phoenix was to urge people to avoid the racial tensions that emerged there during the July 2021 unrest.
He refused to disclose areas earmarked as hotspots, but said law enforcement would be on guard countrywide.
“The concern will be for the country (because) [EFF leader Julius Malema did not divulge a start and end place]. He did speak about time. He said it would be a minute after midnight, but unfortunately for him, we started yesterday. He will find us going forward.”
Cele said security leaders were satisfied order would prevail, but warned: “We’re here to enforce the law. The law must be enforced and it must be upheld.”
LISTEN | Kill or not we're going to the streets, says Malema ahead of shutdown
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