It was clear something was going to happen – Bheki Cele on July unrest

Police Minister Bheki Cele on Monday told the South African Human Rights Commission that the July unrest was not a surprise.

Cele said although the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma contributed to the unrest, something was suspicious even days leading up to the arrest.

Cele was speaking in Sandton as part of the commission’s investigative hearings in Gauteng.

He is the first witness as proceedings probing the unrest continue after adjourning in Durban in December.

The police minister said there were signs that something was going to happen in July last year.

But he blames the lack of information from Crime Intelligence for them to prepare.

“It was clear that something was going to happen. But personally, I don’t remember any form of intelligence information coming to me.”

Cele said there was a build-up even towards the Nkandla gathering, which saw many Zuma supporters outside his KwaDakwadunuse homestead in what they referred to as a measure to prevent police from arresting him.

He said that gathering showed that something was happening.

An expert panel report into the July unrest also pointed at how police failed to handle the situation.

-EWN

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