By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) has defended the performance of its deployee, Police Minister Bheki Cele amid calls for him to be fired.
On Monday, the ANC’s peace and stability chairperson, Poppy Boshielo, briefed the media on the interventions to tackle illegal mining and other forms of lawlessness on the sidelines of the party’s national executive committee gathering in Boksburg.
There have been growing calls for Cele to step down over the high levels of crime in the country.
Last week, the minister was lambasted for his utterances during an address at the launch of the Western Cape Safer Festive Season campaign, wherein he accused young women of availing themselves for exploitation by drinking alcohol.
The country has been rocked by the scourge of illegal mining and related violent activities.
Boshielo says efforts are in place to improve the government’s approach to tackling the problem, which includes working together with the Department of Home Affairs and the SA National Defence Force.
“We are refining our processes, and it’s unfair to put the blame on Comrade Ndosi [Cele] when he’s trying as much as possible to do the best he can. As the ANC, we have trust in him, and we going to support him.”
Giving an update on the matter, Cele said President Cyril Ramaphosa will soon make a pronouncement on the government’s plans to deal with illegal mining.
“We have finalised the structure that will be led by the police, the defence, home affairs, and state security on a concentrated and concerted effort to deal with the zama zamas.”
Ramaphosa and his Lesotho counterpart Samuel Ramatekane recently pledged to work together to tackle illegal migration and illicit mining as part of efforts by the two countries to strengthen trade and other relations.
In May, more than 30 illegal miners, who are believed to be Basotho nationals, were killed following a methane gas explosion at an unused shaft of the Harmony Gold mine in Welkom, which had been shut down over a decade ago.
“In the North West, two weeks ago, 18 people were found guilty, and they were given six months or R12,000 fine. In the Northern Cape, we arrested 867 of those guys. Unfortunately, there was no capacity to deport them because all of them were foreign nationals,” Cele added.
The country has also experienced a series of brazen cash-in-transit heists in recent back, with more than 250 taking place since January.
Meanwhile Cele pleaded for patience from the public on arrests of Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes alleged killers.
“We found the cars that were used to attack and withdraw, we found the gun, we’ve identified those people. The fear with the AKA case is that it’s a high-profile case. So, the team says when they act, they want to act on a solid thing.”
Cele said that he’s confident that police had cracked the case, adding that they were being cautious in their approach to avoid a repeat of the Senzo Meyiwa murder case.
“The fact that those cars that dropped these guys off and picked them up, and the gun has been found to be the proper gun ballistically – I think we are very much on course with that case of AKA.”