The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the removal of Police Minister Bheki Cele from office, saying his failings are far more than just an embarrassing blot on the African National Congress (ANC) government’s report card.

The party marched to Cele’s office in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“There is no organisation, structure or business outside of the ANC government that would not have fired Police Minister Bheki Cele years ago had he been employed by them. It is only in this ANC government that a man who has presided over one of the worst violent crime waves outside of a war zone, would still be rewarded with the perks, pay and power of a Cabinet position. He is a danger to society and he must be fired. Bheki Cele must go,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen.

Steenhuisen said Cele’s failings had cost South Africans their lives, dignity and security and added that failures on his watch were an indictment on President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The DA’s march carried the backing of the more than 33 000 people who have signed the party’s petition to get rid of Cele, as well as thousands more who have signed various other petitions.

Steenhuisen said these were the people that had had to face the murderers, rapists and robbers on their own.

“They don’t have the luxury of VIP protection units or State-sponsored home security upgrades,” he added.

Steenhuisen has also accused Cele of not allowing DA governments to step up to protect the vulnerable.

He said despite Cele’s promises to combat crime, reduce the murder rate and protect women and children from gender-based violence, Ramaphosa could not bring himself to rid South Africa of its most dangerously incompetent Cabinet Minister.

“Unity in the ANC trumps everything – even the lives of thousands of South African citizens – which is why Ramaphosa didn’t hesitate for a second to offer Cele his full backing during last week’s Questions to the President in the National Assembly,” he said.

Steenhuisen also pointed to the latest crime statistics in calling for Cele to go.  

“But these horrifying crime stats alone only paint part of the picture. Bheki Cele also sat on his hands throughout the July 2021 riots and did nothing to prevent this attempted insurrection, which cost hundreds of lives and an estimated R50-billion. In any functioning democracy, such a useless Police Minister would immediately be dismissed,” he said.