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Police Minister Bheki Cele has said that the South African Police Service “will be ready” for the likelihood of violent protests breaking out at Senekal Magistrates Court in Free State when two suspects in the death of the farm manager 22-year-old Brendin Horner, make his second appearance on Friday.
This after a violent protest broke out in front of the court last Tuesday, when the suspects were supposed to make their first appearance.
“This time we will be ready,” Cele said, adding that the police will be there to protect state property, the integrity of the state, and members of the public who will be in court, “even when those people are suspects.”
Cele said the suspects cannot be turned over to the public “to be dealt with” because the country’s laws do not allow people to take justice into their own hands.
The minister called for the arrest of the people behind the violent protests in front of the court in Senekal last Tuesday, without fear or favor.
Given that #FeesMustFall activist Kanya Cekeshe was sentenced to five years for public violence and malicious damage to the property of a police vehicle in December 2017, Cele said consistency was necessary because a van was also set on fire. the police in Senekal.
“Whoever crosses the line, the power of the state will prevail,” said Cele.
Before the riots last Tuesday, the national police commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, led a “big meeting” with the leaders of the Senekal and AfriForum farming community who deal with rural security, Cele said.
The meeting was largely positive, with topics such as the exchange and integration of police and farmers’ resources, the establishment of joint command centers, among others, discussed to ensure the safety of the broader farming community, which included to farmers, agricultural workers and farm dwellers. Cele said.
“There is a wide discussion that goes even beyond Senekal,” Cele said.
The land issue, relations in the farming community and other issues besides crime have been raised by farmers, farm workers and farm dwellers, Cele said.
“There are issues that are very emotional,” the minister said, giving an example that these included issues related to grazing rights, theft of livestock and the capacity of the police, issues that have been raised by both white and black farmers. .
“There is a plan we are working on when it comes to [rural safety]”Cele said, adding that in most cases on farms or in rural areas, the police have made arrests.
Cele said that increasing the capacity of the police to prevent crime in agricultural communities and rural areas was crucial rather than reacting to them.
He said that considering that one of the suspects in Horner’s murder has been arrested 16 times, this raises the question of why he was given another chance to commit another crime, a matter that the justice group will have to grapple with.
‘Farmers must not complain’
Cele said that following a question from Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald during a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting about a statement the minister allegedly made that “farmers should not complain when injured or hurt,” he has reviewed several media platforms but failed to make that statement.
According to the minister, the report that farmers should not complain when they get hurt or injured was made by a journalist who did not attend a recent Rural Security Imbizo in Normandien in KwaZulu-Natal where Cele allegedly made the statement.
He said that the journalist had claimed that these words were transmitted to him by a farmer who is not a native IsiZulu speaker. The farmer alleged that Cele said these words on IsiZulu during the Imbizo meeting in the wake of the murders of farmer couple Glen and Vida Rafferty in early September.
Cele said it was surprising that the media had not called to confirm whether she had actually said these words. He said his office has discussed the matter with the press ombudsman.
He also urged the Afrikaans media in Senekal to desist from reporting on things that were not true in light of how tense and dangerous the situation was in the area and how easily it could spiral out of control.
Political leadership
Cele said that he has promised to meet with the leadership of a political organization that has been “involved in the situation” in Senekal, adding that he has met with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and that in the next few 24 hours you will meet with Groenewald.
Malema and Cele’s meeting comes as the Democratic Alliance (DA) was expected on Monday to press charges against the EFF leader and the party’s member of parliament, Nazier Paulsen, “for posts on social media,” the Prosecutor “inciting violence” before the court appearance on Friday of the two suspects in connection with Horner’s murder.
Cele said he spoke extensively with Groenewald on Sunday about the situation in Senekal and that they both agreed that mature leadership is required to avoid further tension in the area.
“But that does not mean that the state is going to abandon [its authority]”Cele said, adding that the state cannot be intimidated by the people and that the events of last Tuesday” cannot be allowed “to reoccur.
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