One can barely argue against the view that Police Minister Bheki Cele and his top brass’s track record of fighting crime refutes the belief that they are the right people for the job.
But none of them, including most of his Cabinet colleagues, will ever concede to their monumental failures, even when they are there for all to see.
Take, for example, the ongoing crisis with illegal miners, who not only wreak havoc on the country’s economy, but also on the communities bordering the mining shafts.
Almost weekly our news pages are filled with stories of zama zamas either killing each other, or their illegal activities leading to the deaths of innocent people.
A recent shooting among rival zama zamas led to the discovery of five bodies in Riverlea in Johannesburg.
It’s hard to blame the residents for taking their frustration to the streets.
It’s their desperate cry for help and protection before some of them are caught in the crossfire.
This fear is further compounded by the fact that little to no progress has been made in arresting anyone linked to the tragedy that befell the community of Angelo Informal Settlement in Ekurhuleni last month where 17 people died after inhaling nitrate oxide gas stored in cylinders in a shack apparently used by illegal miners.
The lack of urgency in attending to people’s legitimate concerns about the situation appearing to be out of Cele’s control could be attributed to most of the breakdown in relations between the police and communities.
The police minister and his top brass are aware that they are the first to take the heat when something like the Riverlea killings happen.
Perhaps that is why they have been quick to highlight their success in fighting against zama zamas, and promising to deploy specialised units to the area.
However, these will be at the cost of some other crime fighting initiatives because of budget cuts, according to Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
The next time the zama zamas hit, which will be quite soon, there will be another excuse.
You don’t have to guess who lives at the mercy of ruthless criminals.
Cape Times