Cape Town – Police Minister Bhekli Cele has reportedly reiterated that he has no plans to resign but he would “happily” do so if the president asks him to leave his position.
Cele said this during an interview with JJ Tabane on eNCA’s Power To Truth
“I’m simply saying to you JJ that things in this environment did happen, I have that experience where I was there as a national commissioner.
“I believe that if somebody can do better they must come and do that… From the President it doesn’t even have to ask me to resign he can just ask me to go and I will go…happily so,” said Cele.
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The minister was speaking following heavy criticism after an inquiry by a government-appointed panel into the handling of the July riots found that “there was a failure by the intelligence structures to anticipate and respond adequately to the violence”.
The panel said that the intelligence services “failed to predict the nature, scale and modus operandi” of the violence while at the same time, the police had “insufficient capacity” to curb it.
Rampaging mobs overran dozens shopping malls and warehouses, carting away large flat screen television, refrigerators, leather couches and cartons of fresh meat.
Some even hammered down automatic teller machines and emptied them of cash.
“The police admitted that the large numbers were overwhelming,” the panel said.
The unrest broke out after former president Jacob Zuma was jailed for contempt over his refusal to testify before a commission probing state corruption during his reign.
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The rioting and looting started in his home region, KwaZulu-Natal, before spreading to Johannesburg.
More than 350 people were killed and some 50 billion rand ($3.2 billion) wiped off the economy.
The riots were largely organised by protesters on social media, the panel found.
In the aftermath of the July riots, President Cyril Ramaphosa in February axed police commissioner Khehla Sitole.
The presidency said in a statement that his dismissal was “by mutual agreement” and in the “best interests of the country”.
According to Times Live, Cele dodged questions from journalists about the departure of Sitole. Instead, he said: “It is a presidency issue.
ALSO READ | Cyril Ramaphosa axes police chief Khehla Sitole following deadly unrest
“Not a single one [of the questions] I am going to answer because that is a presidency issue.”
When asked whether he believed his own job was safe, he said: “When time comes, I will go home.
“I definitely did not employ myself — what I know, is that I am doing my job and I will continue to do my job as long as I am given the opportunity. But when [the] time comes, I will go home. I don’t think I will have a problem,” according to the report.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
Additional information by AFP
