Cape Town — Opposition party, ActionSA, has called for Parliament to appoint a Police Minister that has the right skills to occupy the role, as outgoing minister Bheki Cele, marks his last days in Parliament.
Cele is among several African National Congress (ANC) stalwarts who was not chosen to return to Parliament for the seventh administration after the general elections. ActionSA are among the parties who are glad to see his term in office come to an end, EWN reported.
Political parties in Government of National Unity (GNU) are currently engaged in power-sharing talsk ahead of Ramaphosa’s announcement of the new Cabinet.
According to ActionSA chief whip, Lerato Ngobeni, she hopes that there will be skilled candidates to occupy the police ministry role.
“What we are glad about is the fact that it seems Bheki Cele will not be returning as a minister in that portfolio, that is definitely something that is pleasing to us. As to who the president appoints to that post, we are looking forward to that and we are hoping it’s going to work because that is one of the most important portfolios.” Ngobeni said.
ALSO READ | PA wants Home Affairs or Police Ministry in GNU
At the start of GNU talks, Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader, Gayton McKenzie, said he wanted PA deputy president Kenny Kunene to control home affairs but his interest has also moved to police minister Bheki Cele’s department, TimesLIVE reported.
Mckenzie is among the politicians gunning for the police minister position and believes his time as a former gangster and gang boss and his experiences with lawlessness put him in a unique position to tackle rising crime levels.
“None of them [other politicians] are equipped to deal with the mafias, with the murder rates we are seeing. South Africa needs me. I will deal with the cold mafias, people who are causing load-shedding, all the gangsters,” McKenzie said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
