“Don’t protect criminals,” warns Cele

                                                                               Twitter: @SAPoliceServices

Police Minister, Bheki Cele, has warned community members to refrain from hindering police from enforcing the law.

Cele was commenting on the incident that happened in Eden Park,in Ekurhuleni, on Thursday where community members allegedly stopped members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) from searching a car.

A video has been circulating on social media of the assault of one of the officers by a number of community members.

Eden Park, Ekhurhuleni. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/jIQD2wHUPb

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) October 12, 2023

Cele urged communities not to protect criminals, but to work with the police in their bid to curtail crime.

“You must work with the police. Don’t hide those criminals among yourselves because they hurt you. If you protect those criminals, they will come back for you, do not ask us where we are because you take on the police on behalf of criminals.”

Cele says this just shows that communities would rather protect criminals than work with the police.

Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the assault and face charges of obstructing police in the execution of their duties, attacking and assaulting police officers as well as attempted robbery of a firearm.

They are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate Court on Monday.

[Read] Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has commended members of the Ekurhuleni District and Edenpark police stations for arresting perpetrators responsible for attacking the police on Thursday https://t.co/DFZkcmm4oq pic.twitter.com/XPAo334Y3I

— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) October 13, 2023

Cele has also called on police to enforce the law during the festive season as they expect criminality to increase.

On Friday, the SAPS launched the police’s safer festive season operations in the Western Cape.

The operations, under the Operation Shanela umbrella, will include regular roadblocks, stop and searches and the tracking and tracing of wanted suspects.

The ministry says heightened police visibility is aimed at preventing crime during the holiday season and beyond.

He says police mustn’t be lenient to people who break the law on purpose.

[WATCH] As the @SAPoliceService launches the National #SaferFestiveSeason #Minister in Cape Town today, Minister of Police Gen Bheki Cele calls of SAPS members to improve their responses to the most vulnerable in society during the holiday season and beyond. pic.twitter.com/2FP27v6D5o

— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) October 13, 2023

 

#sapsHQ The Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele delivers the keynote address at the National #SaferFestiveSeason launch in the Western Cape. He reiterates once again the importance of communities and the SAPS working together in the fight against crime. NP pic.twitter.com/dW53x3pYZU

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) October 13, 2023