Bheki Cele wants to take criminals out for "dinner"

Dinner usually refers to the most significant meal of the day, but when Police Minister Bheki Cele invites you for dinner you must be worried because it might be years before you can return home.

In his own words a dinner with him is a dangerous affair - if you are a criminal.

"Those who owns criminals please tell us we'd love to visit your criminal, have a dinner with your criminal and you, especial bomme [women] most of this criminals are your sons, your husbands, your boyfriends help us we want to take them out for dinner on Christmas Day, will bring them back in the year 2025," he told shoppers at Boitekong Mall near Rustenburg.

"Save your boyfriend, save your husband, save your son. Do not allow them to have dinner with me it is a dangerous situation. When Bheki Cele calls you for dinner run because it is not a very shot dinner, it is a long dinner."

He called on criminals to take a holiday or else he would invite them for dinner.

He was concluding his two-day visit in the North West to evaluate the safer festive season operations.

As part of his visit he went to Sondela informal settlement, Dichibidung in Sunrise Park, Fatima Bhyat Street in Central Rustenburg and  the public transport rank.

In Sondela and Dichibidung residents told him they want a police station because they have to walk long distances to reach Boitekong police station, in Sondela they further complained that the police use a heavy hand on them.

Speaking to journalists, Cele said bearing the recent violence in Sondela, the police should not go to Sondela to "kiss" criminals. They have to be tough, he said.

At least 12 people died in Sondela about 7km north-east of Rustenburg in a clash between Xhosas and Sothos between November 18 and 26. 

The conflict was allegedly started in August after a Xhosa man stabbed a Sotho man while they were fighting over a woman.

Eleven people were found dead at different spots in the informal settlement, some were burnt and others stabbed, one person died in hospital.

He made a rock star arrival in the platinum city and surprised excited shoppers could not resist taking selfies with him. 

Cele wished Rustenburg a safe festive season and warned criminals that they would spend time in jail.

African News Agency (ANA)