‘You have the right to fill the prisons’ - Cele addresses cops ahead of shutdown
Police Minister Bheki Cele gave Gauteng officers their marching orders during a state of readiness visit to the province on Friday morning.
The country’s security cluster is preparing for Monday’s planned national shutdown by the EFF.
The EFF-led protest is meant to call for an end to load shedding and the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Cele said no officer has been granted leave on Monday.
“You will protect those that want to go to work on that day, those that are on roads. Nobody should block the roads or occupy the roads at the expense of the road users. Nobody should loot, nobody should force anybody to close his or her shop or his or her business on that day,” Cele told the officers.
“You shall be there and you shall refuse anybody and stop anybody that is trying to force anybody in South Africa against his or her will. That is last potion of the constitution where you uphold the law, but more importantly enforce it. Therefore in enforcing the law as the national commissioner has said, you do that with the minimum force trying by all means not to hurt or to injure any human being whichever sight of those parties on that particular day.”
Cele told officers they can “fill the prisons” on Monday if needed.
“You have a right to fill the prisons, therefore national police commissioner, provincial police commissioner all the tasks of the police must be on standby and make sure that everybody that gets out of the law you put him there.
“Let police vans be filled, even the police trucks. If there is no space still put them there, if there is no space to sleep, they must sleep standing but make sure that everybody that breaks the law the law takes its course and the law doesn't retreat.
“When they break the law put them there. We will see what they drink or eat later and see if they will have an opportunity to wash. Nobody must break the law, you do that with all diligence as South Africans.”
Cele urged the officials not to allow South Africans to be threatened.
“Some of them have been threatened, all these silly words of threatening South Africans that they must stay home because if they go out there something bad will happen to them. We are there as this government, we are there as the people of South Africa and I must assure you many South Africans are on your side, and many don't want this nonsense to happen.”
ALSO READ
