Police chief cops told to aim for the head.. not shoot to kill
INSTRUCTIONS to police to "aim for the head" in their fight against criminals did not necessarily mean to kill.
IRKED: Suspended national police commissioner General Bheki Cele, left, outside court yesterday. Cele is suing Sowetan for defamation of character after the paper produced a "manipulated" picture of him carrying a firearm in 2007. PHOTO: Mohau MofokengSuspended national police commissioner Bheki Cele said this in the Johannesburg High Court yesterday.
Cele is suing Sowetan for defamation. He claims that a manufactured picture of him carrying a gun on July 7 2007 had injured his person. He also said articles written about him in the newspaper were not balanced.
"The statement 'aim for the head' was made after a police officer died. He was chasing the criminal and shot him in the leg and when he (officer) approached the suspect he was then shot and killed," Cele said.
"If the police officer had aimed for the head, the suspect and not the officer would have been buried instead."
Cele, on a number of occasions, appeared to be irked by advocate Hamilton Maenetje's questions.
Maenetje was leading the defence's legal team. Cele would occasionally take a sip of water.
"You don't know what I was trained for," he stormed when Maenetje asked him if he was ever taught about the use of a gun during his time as a member of Mkhonto we Sizwe.
Cele told the court that Sowetan was unbalanced in its reporting about him.
"In addition to the doctored picture of me, I found them to be unbalanced."
Maenetje then put it to him that The Citizen newspaper had also ran a number of stories in which he was said to have used the words "shoot to kill". But, Cele said it was not only the articles that bothered him, but the picture of him carrying a rifle.
He also admitted that the state had been paying for his legal fees.
"The (KwaZulu-Natal) Department of Transport, Safety and Security was paying for me and I assume that they are still paying."
Cele also said the article that implied that he ordered police to kill eight people was wrong and unbalanced.
"The picture is but one of the things that made me sue. The articles and the subheading where it was stated that I ordered the police to kill the suspects was also considered," he said.
Cele said the article, which implied that he ordered police to kill eight people was wrong and unbalanced. "Political heads of police do not command police officers. The article implied that I ordered the police to shoot those people, but that was simply not true," he said.
He also said he would be in prison for genocide if he had ordered the killing of "all" criminals as had allegedly been suggested.
- Cele's hearing following his suspension is due to start on February 13.
Leroborobo
What does that mean? aim for the head???? isnt that killing someone??? call me dumb please!!!!Report Abuse
maneater
@LeroborobouNdosi said aim but the police decided to shoot hahaha!!!!
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Pointman
Aim for the head - but shoot the criminal somewhere else. What this insane argument conveys is that Mr Cele does not really have the case. If the legal fees were coming out of his own pocket, he would not be in court arguing like this.Report Abuse
ApelMankotsana
He would defiantely not succeed in his defamation suit...as a the police commissioner rules of general application and common sense will alaways associate him with fire-arms..so it would have been wrong for Sowetan to show his picture with a fire-arm in his hand...it is common in amy police service..Also the fact that the stories were unbalanced does not render them defamatory.Report Abuse
tpaz
Sowetan, I hope you LOSE. You abuse your media privilege by writing what suits your white AVUSA masters. Always discrediting the ANC.I have not seen any positive article about our GOVT.
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candilious
Cele you are really a pimp with no Brains all i hear unbalanced ,unbalanced,unbalanced Can you answer the question directly that is been asked moer...........jirreeeeeeeeeee Really now"In addition to the doctored picture of me, I found them to be unbalanced."
Cele said the article, which implied that he ordered police to k!ill eight people was wrong and unbalanced
He also said articles written about him in the newspaper were not balanced
Cele told the court that Sowetan was unbalanced in its reporting about him.
"You don't know what I was trained for," he stormed when Maenetje asked him if he was ever taught about the use of a gun during his time as a member of Mkhonto we Sizwe
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you were trained to f#uck up and eat tax payers money blerrie
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candilious
@tpaz- Please Embrace me this fine morning and tell me what good your Goverment has done PleaseReport Abuse
DjEp
English is not our mother's tongue! Cele wants you aim for the head there is 99.9999% chance that the victim will die. "If the police officer had aimed for the head, the suspect and not the officer would have been buried instead." This is translated as shoot the head to k ill the bastardReport Abuse
PleaseGetReal
tpazSowetan, I hope you LOSE. You abuse your media privilege by writing what suits your white AVUSA masters. Always discrediting the ANC.
I have not seen any positive article about our GOVT.
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Well, if the thieving bastards stop stealing and raping our country maybe there could be something positive in the news about the anc, unfortunately your corrupt party is the scum of SA.
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