Police Minister Bheki Cele, who was found guilty of breaching the code of conduct for Members of Parliament after telling an anti-crime activist to "shut up", says he does not agree with the decision and that he will take it for review.
CONTENT OF THE RANT
The incident happened last year in during a SAPS imbizo where Cele pointed a finger at Ian Cameron and said, "don’t provoke me," in a threatening tone. This was after Cameron interrupted Cele and accused him of failing to protect citizens and not deploying enough police to crime hot spots.
During the rant Cele, told Cameron, " I did not join human rights battles yesterday. That is why I was sent to prison, that’s why I was sent to Robben Island, that’s why I lived in the cold water, that’s why I ate bad food because I was fighting for human rights. Don’t teach me about human rights; don’t tell me about the safety of my people. I fought for it, I nearly died for it, I was arrested for it. Don’t provoke me; don’t talk about things that you have studied, and you have heard about. I have lived the life, and I am not going to take any nonsense of someone who regards me as a garden boy," said Cele. Cameroon claims that he was forcefully removed from the venue where the imbizo was held and his clothes were ripped in the process.
APOLOGISE
The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interest found that Cele breached the code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interest. In a letter to Cameroon, the Committee said, "Cele failed to maintain public confidence and trust in the integrity of Parliament and thereby engender the respect and confidence that society needs to have in Parliament as a representative institution when he became irate during the Imbizo and shouted, ‘shut up’ to you,”. The committee recommended to the National Assembly that Cele enter an apology in the House for his conduct towards Cameron.
Responding to the committee’s recommendations, Cele said during a media briefing on Tuesday, “There are steps which we will be taking going forward. The matter will be taken to review because we do not agree with the recommendation made,” said Cele. The ethics committee wants Cele to apologise to Cameron in front of members of the National Assembly. During a media briefing yesterday in Western Cape, Cele told reporters that the sanction was laughable. "We are taking this to review, we don’t agree with it. There are steps that can be taken going forward, we absolutely do not agree with this outcome. The minister of police will be taking this on review."
ACCOUNTABILITY
Cameron said he was glad that Cele is being held accountable for his actions publicly. "It’s sad that there has been no prosecution for his actions regarding the assault matter. Whether it’s enough, I’m not sure; I am surprised that the committee has come to a conclusion. It’s been more than a year later," he said. Action Society published a statement in which Cameron says that Cele should resign from office. "An honourable person would step out gracefully. But Cele seems too power-hungry for that. That is why Action Society will continue to demand that he be removed from his position as Minister of Police."
