Why should I be worried, asks Bheki Cele ahead of cabinet reshuffle

Minister of police Bheki Cele.
Minister of police Bheki Cele.
Image: Freddy Mavunda

Bheki Cele says he is not worried about the upcoming cabinet reshuffle and whether he will remain police minister.

Cele made these remarks during a visit to the Sophiatown police station on Thursday amid a resurgence of gang-related violence in nearby Westbury. The minister briefed the media after a meeting with residents there and was asked if he was worried about his fate in the upcoming reshuffle.

This after Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa would announce changes to his cabinet “in a number of days”. This followed the resignation of former deputy president David Mabuza on Tuesday.

“Why should I be worried?” Cele responded.

“I did not ask when I was put [in] and I will not ask why I am removed. So why should I be worried?

“This is not an inheritance ... this is a job, you do the job you are given. When the job is taken and given to someone else, you go on with life. You think I can stop working and be worried about coming in?

“It's not a stokvel here. We work,” he said.

Cele also commented briefly on the investigation into the murder of popular rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who was gunned down in early February in Durban.

“The latest report yesterday [Wednesday] that I got from the province ... they will argue, as they are speaking to me, that they are making progress, but for now I'll end there with that one,” he said.

No arrests have been made since the award-winning musician was gunned down on Florida Road while leaving a restaurant.

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