The South African Police Service, SAPS, has defended the use of a police helicopter by the Minister Bheki Cele at the ANC election manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday. This after a video went viral on social media showing Cele arriving on board the helicopter at the venue wearing an ANC t-shirt.
‘’At all major events, various law enforcement agencies led by the SAPS, pull resources together to ensure all events are incident and crime free. It is against this background that the co-chair of the Natjoints who the Deputy National Commissioner is also responsible for visible policing and operations in the SAPS will ensure adequate deployment of police resources to ensure heightened patrols in the form of foot, vehicle, and air support,” explained the National Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
Mathe added that the helicopter had already been deployed earlier to monitor the gathering and that it is used in every event to monitor large crowds. The Democratic Alliance, however, believes that Cele must be billed in his personal capacity for using state resources at his party’s event. ‘’Cele’s helicopter stunt was a gross abuse of state resources, and he should be made to pay for every flight minute that the helicopter was in the air,’’ read the party’s statement. Moreover, it has also requested for a full SAPS internal investigation to be launched, to review the decision-making process that gave Cele authorization to use the police asset and called for those involved to be subjected to a disciplinary action.
