MINISTER of Police Bheki Cele has accused the Western Cape government of encouraging crime after Premier Alan Winde said lockdown regulations were “nonsensical”.
This after over 500 people descended on Muizenberg
beach on Saturday, 31 January, against the level 3 regulations.
At the time, Winde had said the ban was “nonsensical”.
“The Western Cape government does not support the ban on beaches as well as other open and outdoor spaces. I have consistently argued against this at every opportunity,” said Winde.
He added that the beach ban was costing Western Cape over R100 million per month.
“We promise our residents that we are doing whatever we can to have this nonsensical ban removed as soon as possible.”
This did not sit well with Cele, who said the premier’s stance encouraged people to break the law and gave cops problems in fighting crime.
Cele also argued that Winde sat on the Presidential Coordinating Council that decided on issues of regulations.
“The mentality of the Western Cape government does give us problems when it comes to crime. You can’t find a premier, knowing very well that he is part of the laws that we make, specifically with the regulations of Covid-19, saying this,” said Cele.
Cele added that if the law was made, then everyone had to respect it.
“This mentality encourages people openly and covertly to say in Western Cape, you are allowed to commit crime. I really want to make a call to the premier to say that this is not the way of doing things. Once the law is made, you agree to it, even if you have debated differently,” said Cele.
He said positions taken by senior government officials like Winde may have far-reaching implication to the communities.
“That will not only encourage people en masse to go to the beach, but also encourage gangsters to say: ‘at least someone understands here that we can commit a crime’,” said Cele.
