South Africa: Minister Cele Must Stop Talking and Provide Police Resources, Demand East London Youth

South African Police Service
On Sunday June 26, 2022, the South African Minister of Police General Bheki Cele and the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, led a high level delegation of crime scene experts and bomb disposal technicians to support the Eastern Cape Crime Scene Investigations teams at the scene of the mass deaths of teenagers at an East London tavern. Cele engaged with local residents and with parents of the dead at the local mortuary.
3 July 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Hoseya Jubase and Tembile Sgqolana

Scenery Park youth are calling on Police Minister Bheki Cele to stop talking and provide resources for Scenery Park Police Station, which allegedly failed to respond to the Enyobeni tavern tragedy when they were called for help when the first two teenagers collapsed.

The youth of Scenery Park in East London in the Eastern Cape called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to stop blaming their parents for Enyobeni tavern, where 21 teenagers died, and instead provide working resources to the Scenery Park police station.

This follows Cele visiting Scenery Park on the day of the tragedy, when he said parents must also take responsibility for what happened at the tavern:

"If you are a parent and have a child of 13 years not at home until midnight, parents also have a responsibility - what are you saying if you sleep but a 13-year-old is not at home?"

According to the youth, the police station has a shortage of staff and police vehicles, and Cele employs incompetent staff.

On Friday the youth of Scenery Park marched to the police station and handed over a petition to the police demanding answers from Cele.

Speaking at the handing over of the petition, Scenery...

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