Police minister Bheki Cele. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - The EFF has accused some of the police top brass of being involved in an alleged plot to assassinate its deputy leader, Floyd Shivambu.
Speaking during the debate on the State of the Nation Address (Sona), EFF leader Julius Malema said South Africa had a high level of crime and an incapable and unwilling minister in Bheki Cele who showed up after the crime to pose for cameras.
“This leader has demonstrated that he has got nothing to offer except to project himself as a modern-day model. He is indeed a certified fool without any alternative to reduce crime in South Africa,” Malema said.
He withdrew his use of the word fool when a point of order was raised by an ANC MP.
“The leadership of police actually planned the assassination of our deputy president, a matter that we brought to the attention of the president that the minister was involved in the plot of killing the deputy president of the EFF.”
He again withdrew his claim when National Council of Province’s chairperson Amos Masondo told him to make a substantive motion on his allegation.
But, Malema continued from where he left off and claimed that when the daughter of the party’s former secretary-general Godrich Gardee was murdered, the police wanted the suspects to implicate Shivambu.
“The deputy president has been targeted by the leadership of police which was willing to connive with suspects and persuaded suspects to put the name of the deputy president of the EFF in the murder of the former secretary-general’s daughter.“
When again warned that he should make a substantive motion on the serious allegations, Malema complained that when they raised issues during Sona last Thursday, they were told to do so in the debate and now goalposts were changed.
“It means we will never contribute to this House. I am telling you the facts that we ought to fight criminality in the police and if the shoe fits, wear it because it is the truth.”
When it was Cele’s turn to debate, he told the House that he had a “very long” meeting with EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini before Sona at his house last Thursday.
“He was there to urge me and beg me to confirm that I have said IFP will kill him and when I refused, he promised me that my life is going to be difficult for me,” Cele said.
The fall-out between the EFF and Cele erupted last week when Malema claimed that the minister had called Dlamini and informed him that there was a plot to kill him by IFP senior leaders because it was believed that he was solely responsible for ousting the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal councils.
Cele had dismissed the party’s claim, saying he had received information from Nongoma that there was the intention of changing the government that councillors would be voting for otherwise and that there were requests for extra protection for fear that lives could be in danger.
He previously said he had called political leaders of the IFP, ANC and EFF and raised the issue of rising political tensions, and no names of individuals were mentioned.
On Tuesday, Cele said Malema had been lied to but it was not him.
He speculated that he was targeted by the EFF because he refused to commit to Dlamini to confirm their claim at their 47-minute-long meeting.
“Mr President, that is the only reason, maybe there are other reasons,” he said, on why possibly he was targeted by the EFF.
Dlamini countered Cele’s claim, saying it was him who informed him that he was to be assassinated and proposed that they meet last week.
“If he is scared of the IFP, he must not use my name,” he said.
“I am not scared of him or anyone. If he is scared of the IFP, that is his problem,” Dlamini said.
When Cele continued with his debate, he said: “I will request the president of the EFF to repeat every word outside.”
Malema did not take his threat lying down, saying he had made his statement in public and would say it again.
He insisted that he had brought the issue of the plot against Shivambu to Cele after he received information from the crime intelligence unit.
“I even told the president about him being involved in the possible assassination of Floyd. I will repeat it in public,” Malema said.
Cape Times