Cele returns to KZN for back-to-back engagements over three days

Police minister Bheki Cele will over the next three days lead a series of engagements in KwaZulu-Natal, marking a return to the province for the second week.

The engagements are “part of ongoing efforts to enforce community-orientated policing” and mobilise “all sectors of society, including the religious fraternity, to play its role in supporting” the police's work. 

“Cele will on Sunday address congregants of the KwaMashu Christian Church in pursuit of church leaders and the congregation as a whole to play an active role in crime prevention and lend support to victims of crime.

“This programme forms part of the implementation of the integrated violence and crime prevention strategy (ICVPS) which draws on collaboration to safeguard communities,” spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said on Saturday.

Cele will then lead a delegation of police top brass, including national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, on a visit to Donnybrook and Gamalakhe on Monday and Tuesday respectively to hand over two newly-built police stations to the communities.

Cele's return to KwaZulu-Natal comes after his visit to Nquthu on Wednesday where police “held in-depth and lengthy discussions with the local traditional leadership and representatives of families that are said to be involved in a long-standing feud that has claimed 10 lives, including women and children since 2022”.

Addressing residents during his engagement, Cele said: “We are deploying this high level team to clean up this area, they will be here to deal with ruthless criminals that kill women and children without a shred of remorse.

“This team will not be selective nor will it be kind to criminals, no matter what party or organisation they belong to or family they come from. They will use all that is at their disposal to ensure there is justice for those killed as well as track and trace firearms that are in the wrong hands.” 

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