Twitter: @LirandzuThemba
“You know who the criminals are,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said as he again urged communities to work hand-in-glove with SAPS to root out criminals.
Minister Cele on Friday delivered a eulogy at the funeral of the late police Sergeant Mario Nel in the Eastern Cape.
Sergeant Nel was shot and killed on 2 May by a suspect in the court passages in Motherwell while on duty.
Minister Cele said May has been a bloody month for police officials with at least six members killed in the line of duty between May 1 and 12.
Sergeant Nel has left behind his wife and four young children
Minister Cele said it was time that police forge a stronger working relationship.
“When the time comes when the choice has to be made – and I think the time has come for the South African Police Service and all law-abiding citizens to work together to squeeze criminality,” said Cele.
We can squeeze criminality.
Because, you know, as you are seated here, there are criminals you know [and] some of them are from your own houses. Some are your partners
Some of them you know as you are sleeping in one bed, there is an illegal firearm under the pillow,” the Minister said.
The Minister will on Saturday also delivery a eulogy at the funeral service of 42-year-old Sergeant Lwando Lawrence Bunga.
Sergeant Bunga served under the Public Order Policing Unit in East London and lost his life while he and his team were responding to an attempted armed robbery the 1st of May 2023.
