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Police Minister Bheki Cele.
- Police Minister Bheki Cele denies having personal relationships with or visiting the KwaSizabantu mission.
- A former member recalls seeing Cele “and her hat” on the mission in the early 2000s.
- Cele also denied being on KwaSizabantu when News24 raised the question at a press conference last week.
Bheki Cele has denied attending any events or having any personal relationship with the KwaSizabantu Mission in KwaZulu-Natal.
The police minister made the denial after a former member said he had seen Cele on the mission some years ago.
READ | Cele confirms that the KwaSizabantu Mission is being investigated
“I remember Bheki Cele and her hat very clearly in my mind,” Hlongwane told host Lester Kiewit.
He also told News24 that he remembered Cele attending a conference at the mission in the early 2000s.
A 50-year-old Christian mission at KZN is accused of gross human rights violations, turning a blind eye to sexual abuse and alleged money laundering. After a seven-month investigation, News24 can today reveal the depth of the rot in KwaSizabantu.https: //t.co/MmU4YGJlxD
– News24 (@ News24) September 19, 2020
After Hlongwane’s interview, News24 approached the minister for comment for the second time.
“Minister [Cele] Once again he says he has absolutely no personal relationship with anyone from this mission, he has never attended any events there. He has also not been on a personal or official visit to the church, “said spokesman Lirandzu Themba.
News24 previously asked Cele about her relationship with the mission during a press conference last week.
Cele responded by saying that she “knows[s] nobody “in the mission.
“I don’t have any personal understanding. KwaSizabantu, I only know when I pass by. It’s a mission we grew up knowing, I still know [but] I’ve never been there, “Cele said previously.
OPINION | Why don’t religious people stand up to the kind of corruption seen in the KwaSizabantu Mission, and is there something in their scriptures that could support political realignment? asks Siya Khumalohttps: //t.co/OQjEQZZuHj
– News24 (@ News24) September 28, 2020
The KwaSizabantu Mission has been accused of serious human rights abuses, as well as financial crimes, for several years.
News24 published an extensive exposition on the mission, detailing allegations of sexual assault, physical and emotional abuse, as well as money laundering at the mission.
The church has been described as a “cult” by former members, who opened up about their experiences on mission.
READ ALSO | KwaSizabantu: a first look at how the independent review panel will deal with reports of abuse
KwaSizabantu has widely denied that it is a cult, saying that the accusations made against it and its leaders are part of a “smear campaign.”
He says he has done nothing wrong.
Since then, the mission has established an independent review panel to investigate the allegations.
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