STAFF REPORTER
POLICE Minister Bheki Cele has lambasted EFF leader Julius Malema after he threatened members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) and their families with violence.
Malema lashed out at the police conduct during a community gathering in the Free State on Sunday.
SAPS said in a statement on Monday evening that Cele has noted with “disgust, the reckless, irresponsible and dangerous statements calling for the attack on police officers by EFF leader, Julius Malema”.
The police said while addressing his supporters over the weekend, Malema encouraged direct violence against members of the SAPS and their families.
Cele assured South Africans that such threats will not be taken lightly by the SAPS.
“I think the EFF leader has crossed the line, you are not going to threaten the police and think they will just fold their arms,” said Cele.
“The job of the police is clear and is prescribed in the Constitution, which is to protect, prevent, combat and investigate crime. Police are also there to uphold and enforce the law, so no one has the right to threaten the police when they conduct their work.”
Cele also called on members of the police service to protect themselves against any threats of violence.
The minister is confident that if needs be, police are more than capable of defending themselves, should they be under any attack.
“The threat to the lives of police members and their families will not be tolerated, officers of the law should never be used as bait for political mileage,” said Cele.
During a community in the Free State at the weekend, Malema said EFF members will go to the houses of police members and fight them.
“If South African police want a fight they must declare it, we will treat them the same way we treated them in the ’80s,” Malema said.
“We will not only fight them at the picket lines, we will go to their homes and fight them in their own houses, with their own families.”
“We are not scared of [the] police, they think these uniforms give them some superior power. We will see you after you take off your uniform at night, at home when you are about to eat pap, we will come and ask you to repeat the nonsense you were doing or saying on the streets.”
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
