By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Parliament’s ethics committee has found police minister Bheki Cele guilty of breaching MPs’ code of ethical conduct, when he shouted “shut up” at the director of Action Society, Ian Cameron, last year during a crime imbizo.
A crime imbizo held in July last year in Gugulethu descended into a screaming match between Cele and Cameron.
Cameron interrupted Cele during the imbizo and accused the minister of failing to protect citizens and not adequately deploying police to crime hotspots.
Things became heated when Cele told Cameron to “shut up”.
Cele must apologise in the House — for his outburst at a July 2022 SAPS imbizo aimed at anti-crime lobbyist Ian Cameron. Wagging a finger, Cele said “Shut up”, “don’t provoke me” and “sit down and listen” before ordering Cameron out of the meeting.
That was conduct unbecoming for a member of Parliament.
Following deliberations, the committee noted that the Member [Cele] in his written representation did not specifically address the incident, i.e., that he is alleged to have shouted, ‘shut up’ at the complainant. However, the video footage taken on the day, which was played in the committee, shows that the Member was irate and that he did shout at the complainant, “said Monday’s joint ethics committee statement on this finding.
The committee also found four MPs guilty of not submitting their 2022 disclosure forms. ANC MPs Portia Mamorobela, Tyotyo James, Nomsa Kubheka and Sibusiso Kula were sanctioned with the loss of 20 days’ salary.
All joint ethics committee findings and sanctions must now go to the House, which must approve the penalties before they take effect.