Former Police Minister Bheki Cele has explained how his history as an anti-apartheid activist influenced his decision to resist paying legal costs for apartheid-era perpetrators.
Cele has been testifying at the TRC Cases Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, today.
Cele says he recognises that his initial refusal to pay costs for alleged perpetrators in cases such as those of the Cosas Four and Nokuthula Simelane may have resulted in delays in the investigation and prosecution of these cases.
“I struggled and still struggle to come to terms with the following: how could government be obliged, obligated to find, through taxpayers’ money, including taxes paid by the very people that were victims, black people, the litigation costs of those who committed crimes against humanity, particularly against black people? This was my limitation then and remains my limitation to this day. If this limitation condemns me, I am willing to go back and serve for my conscience of not agreeing with this thing.”
Cele has attributed delays in the investigation and prosecution of to the lack of resources allocated to the South African Police Services (SAPS).
He says during his tenure, he worked within cabinet to try and get more resources for all police departments, including specialised units.
“It’s a highly specialised and sophisticated area of policing. We just don’t need ordinary police when it comes to work. We need forensics, we need accountants, we need people that go there and know their job. They don’t come cheap, those people. So, for me, even these cases are not easy cases to investigate. These are difficult cases and they need a top-notch kind of skills. And top-notch kind of skills don’t come cheap. And that money does not come from the police per se. It comes across the government.”
Meanwhile, Cele says he accepts responsibility for the delays in the investigation and prosecution of TRC Cases that occurred during his tenure as police commissioner.
Cele says that while the various departments in the police continued with their work, there were instances such as the 2010 World Cup which required special focus.
“Nobody has said to any unit, whether it’s an organised crime with the cash heists, whether it’s FCS with the GPV, whether with the drugs and everything, whether with the kidnapping, who said you slow down at your work because you are busy with 2010. All units had to work maybe on the normal, not increased capacity as it would have been done with the preparation of 2010.”
