Cele: We cannot prepare for something that does not exist

Police Minister Bheki Cele remains unconcerned about a possible looming strike by officers due to a dispute over promotions.

The disagreement started when Cele announced in Parliament in May last year that he would begin to address the backlog of 69 290 officers whom he said deserve promotions.

Officers are unhappy that the processes allegedly benefit certain officers above others.

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Cele briefed the media at the police’s Gauteng headquarters on Thursday, where he warned that any officer who downs tools would be breaking the law.

"Any members of SAPS involved in industrial action, they know they are breaking the law. Our members should not fall for that and they should continue to do their work."

Cele said there is no proof that the strike will actually happen.

"We don't have evidence that our members have been engaged in what we see in the media, social media, communication and all that. We don't have evidence that those are our members. We don't information so we're not going to have a shadow boxing. I've heard on the social media and that is that."

He said therefor no precautionary measures have been put in place.

"So we are not going to be preparing for something that does not exist. Our preparations that our members must be prepared for elections that are coming, must prepare for big operations that we are doing at this present moment."

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