Ian Cameron: Cele & Ramaphosa protect each other… A medal from China & “dirt” on top ANC officials
Police Minister Bheki Cele and President Cyril Ramaphosa are protecting each other – and he has so much dirt on high-ranking ANC officials, that he can't be sacked. This has emerged from an interview with Action Society's Ian Cameron who says: "Well, I think they protect each other… And I also think they can't really sack Cele because he's got so much dirt on all of them that if they were to sack him and he starts spilling the beans, it will be quite an awkward silence for a lot of people in the higher ranks of the ANC." Cameron speaks to BizNews after Cele received the Great Wall Commemorative Medal from China. It is awarded to law enforcement officers from foreign countries who have made outstanding contributions towards protecting the safety of Chinese citizens. "My honest opinion is that it's certainly not for good policing service. I think it's because Minister Bheki Cele is a way and means basically for the Chinese government and certain well-connected Chinese officials to get to the South African State and obviously the ANC," says Cameron. – Chris Steyn
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Relevant timestamps from the interview
- 00:09 – Introductions
- 00:26 – Ian Cameron on the medal Bheki Cele has been awarded with
- 01:45 – What track record does the minister have of keeping South Africans safe
- 05:43 – Why does Ramaphosa protect cele so much
- 08:00 – The last crime stats Cele revealed
- 10:33 – Conclusions
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Highlights from the Interview
Police Minister Bheki Cele and President Cyril Ramaphosa are protecting each other – and he has so much dirt on high-ranking ANC officials that he can't be sacked.
This has emerged from an interview with Action Society's Ian Cameron who says: "Well, I think they protect each other and that's the reason… And I also think they can't really sack Cele because he's got so much dirt on all of them that if they were to sack him and he starts spilling the beans, it will be quite an awkward silence for a lot of people in the higher ranks of the ANC."
Cameron speaks to BizNews after Cele received the Great Wall Commemorative Medal for the South African Police Service's (SAPS) contribution to broader law enforcement cooperation between China and South Africa. The medal is awarded to law enforcement officers from foreign countries who have made outstanding contributions towards protecting the safety of Chinese citizens.
The civil rights campaigner – who believes Cele should be sacked instead of honoured with a medal – says: "Remember, if the police function properly, the whole ANC would need to be sacked. The entire organisation is built on a corrupt system. It's built on a lack of ethics and a complete destruction of integrity, actually. There is no integrity in that organisation. And that's the way that they operate. It is literally an organised crime syndicate that calls themselves a political party…
"So again, back to the President, it obviously reflects badly on him and Minister Cele, but again, if, SAPS and law enforcement functions properly and the different institutions that work alongside them, like the National Prosecuting Authority, or rather let's say the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, if all of those bodies function properly, then the President wouldn't have a job, Cele wouldn't have a job."
As for the medal Cele received, Cameron says: "My honest opinion is that it's certainly not for good policing service. I think it's because Minister Bheki Cele is a way and means basically for the Chinese government and certain well-connected Chinese officials to get to the South African State and obviously the ANC.
"So I don't for one second buy that it's got anything to do with competent policing. I actually think it's a slap in the face of so many good police officers that have lost their lives recently. In the last few weeks, the last few months, we've seen an increase in police murders and it's really alarming to see the rate at which violent crime in general is increasing…
"Remember that under Minister Bheki Cele, more than 125,000 people have been killed in South Africa… And under Cele's watch, jointly under his watch, the South African Police Service had lost or had stolen from them over 20,000 firearms. Millions upon millions of rounds of ammunition too."
Cameron slams Cele for taking credit this week for a series of successes by the police. "And it was quite alarming to see that many of those successes were certainly not police successes in isolation. In fact, the majority of the big successes had quite a bit of private sector and community influence. And many of the successes came due to pressure by the public after the police had failed to do the job in the first place."
He also highlights the latest scandal at the SAPS' Crime Intelligence Unit that bought over R100 million rands worth of vehicles almost two years ago – vehicles which are still stuck in a garage in Tshwane. "They haven't even been registered yet. So you spend 100 million rand on vehicles. Your uniform cops don't have vehicles, they don't have the resources that they need, but you can justify having 100 million rands worth of vehicles for Crime Intelligence parked in a garage. Many of them have lost their warranties by now. And so the list goes on and on and on."
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