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By Sisonke Mlamla 
2h ago
Cape Town – Police leadership is beefing up its legal team after Minister Bheki Cele was caught in a clash with a film crew on Camps Bay beach, accusing him of disobeying Covid-19 regulations on Wednesday .
This comes after the city of Cape Town, which allowed the production company to film its commercial on Camps Bay beach, said it would urgently approach the Western Cape Superior Court for an injunction against police interference. in the production of the film at Camp’s. Bay beach.
Cele, accompanied by SAPS management, embarked on a one-day visit to various beaches in Cape Town in an attempt to inspect operational deployments and assess compliance with closure regulations.
Cele said he noted, with concern, the reckless behavior exhibited by some bathers on Cape Town’s beaches that goes against the country’s efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Cape Town’s beaches were allowed to open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the recently revised regulations.
Cele interacted with bathers on various beaches and expressed her gratitude for many of them who observed the Covid-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, he ordered the closure of a private business on Camps Bay beach.
“While it was allowed by the city of Cape Town, upon closer inspection, the production did not meet what is allowed on the beaches, as stipulated in Covid-19 regulations.”
He said that according to the permission of the producer that was given to the SAPS, the production would go against the rules established by the president who are clear about what is allowed on the beaches and therefore cannot be allowed to continue for now.
Cele asked the crew to bring the permit @IOL @CapeArgus pic.twitter.com/LPOqpwe7Xf
– Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) December 16, 2020
The Cape Argus was informed that the minister has not taken Smith’s threat of legal action lightly and plans to fight any legal action that may arise from the filming.
Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said the office was authorized by City Cinema statutes to issue the corresponding permits to begin filming in public spaces.
Smith said that shutting down production on the film without proper cause was an illegal action and goes against state disaster regulations that allow the film industry to continue to function.
“I am concerned about the autocratic manner in which the minister behaved this morning. It is concerning that a political office holder appears to be giving illegal instructions to operational personnel where SAPS officers continued to carry out this illegal behavior,” Smith said.
He said he hoped that Cele, as a member of the National Coronavirus Command Council, would be aware that since alert level 4, film and television production sets have been considered workspaces and have been allowed to operate under the risk-adjusted strategy.
He said it was also important to note that the latest regulations released Tuesday did not prohibit filming on Cape Town’s beaches.
“Regulations only prohibit the holding of festivals, live music, live performances and loud music on the beaches,” he said.
Smith said filming is a work activity and should not be misconstrued as recreational activity like Cele did this morning.
“Therefore, we are asking the higher court to prohibit the Minister of Police from exceeding the scope of his authority,” he said.
Cape Argus
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