Watch: Bheki Cele loses it in confrontation with anti-crime activists [video]

Action Society's Ian Cameron came face-to-face with an unhinged Bheki Cele at an anti-crime meeting in Cape Town.

By / / Viral
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Police Minister Bheki Cele sparked outrage when he completely lost his cool in a fiery encounter with Action Society leader Ian Cameron at a community symposium on rampant crime in Cape Town.

Bheki Cele boots anti-crime activist for criticising police

Tensions were rife at the community meeting held in Cape Town on Tuesday, where Cele came face-to-face with disgruntled residents about ongoing inaction by law enforcement in addressing the scourge of crime in townships.

Cele, fresh off a positive PR run with the arrest of Cape Town’s most-feared gang boss Yanga ‘Bara’ Nyalara, did not expect to be challenged at the symposium. However, Action Society’s Ian Cameron, a staunch anti-crime activist, didn’t afford Cele the luxury of an easy pass.

Instead, when it was his turn to address the minister, Action Society’s director of community safety criticised Cele for condemning vigilanteeism and challenged him ” to do patrols with the women from the area.”

This, however, did not sit well with the minister, who blasted Cameron for treating him like a garden boy, the same way his parents were during apartheid, and after qualifying himself as a struggle veteran, Cele ordered the Action Society leader to be booted from the meeting.

Here’s video footage of the incident showing the moment Cameron was manhandled out of the meeting by a team of armed officers.

Defending the minister’s uncouth behaviour, national police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba, claimed Cameron was only forced out of the meeting after he had failed to cooperate with requests to refrain from interrupting proceedings.

“He was removed after repeatedly interrupting a meeting despite being given a fair change to raise his concerns prior, without any interruptions. Mr Cameron was escorted out of the meeting after failing to stop his disruptive behaviour,” Themba wrote in a tweet.

However, according to Action Society’s director of community safety, “Cele is once again abusing the police force for political gain and holding authority over ordinary citizens.”

“The SAPS will never succeed in fighting crime if Cele stays in his position. Action Society will, however, continue to be a voice for the voiceless where the police neglect their duty,” the organisation wrote in a statement released shortly after the incident.

Cele’s antics have been widely criticised. Here are some of the reactions: