Cele admits police officers involved in criminal underworld

The Minister of Police Bheki Cele has said he wants to know why law enforcement officers linked to dubious activity in the criminal underworld, still have their jobs.

“It’s unfortunate that the good cops will be tainted and less will be said about them who are also exposed to the danger, as they act against their own,” he said during an interview on Enca.

Cele said one of the corrupt police officials’ tactics was to reduce the trust from the community at large by deliberately painting all members of corrupt.

“I would like to concede that there is corruption even at senior level. That’s why with the supply chain, as we speak, people up to the generals are arrested, he added”

This comes after the death of top detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, who was gunned down outside his home in Cape Town. His phone was reportedly tracked, which helped time his shooting.

Cele on Kinnear killing: ‘We will have to get to the bottom of the issue’

At the time of his death, Kinnear had been close to cracking a number of high profile cases involving crime bosses. At least six police officials have been accused of colluding with high-prominent criminals.

In an affidavit, he said a number of officers interfered in a probe into a failed assassination attempt against Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, a Cape Town underworld figure.

“It has also become common knowledge that members of Crime Intelligence often make mention that they have to listen to telephone lines of SAPS members who speak about nothing else but crime. These members sir, can surely be better utilized,” Kinnear said in the report.

On Friday 25 September, a man by the name of Zane Killian was charged with his murder in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court.

Kinnear’s killing has placed focus on police corruption and the extent of meddling in investigations.

“We said and still say we will have to get to the bottom of the issue in the Western Cape, for the fact that somebody has been arrested but we expect to get more people, but that is not the end of the matter,” said Cele.

In November 2019, Kinnear said had been targeted as a grenade was placed at his house, however the attempt failed.