DA and Mzansi Call Police Minister Bheki Cele Out for Saying Potholes Cause Hijackings in the Western Cape

• The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape was completely offended by Police Minister Bheki Cele's remarks about poor road maintenance and crime
• Cele made the claim that potholes are one of the reasons hijackings occur in the province and the DA wants him fired for that comment
• South Africans on social media and very different views in regard to Cele's comments, some people seemed to agree with the Police Minister

JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Bheki Cele has raised a few eyebrows for his comments about the causes of hijackings in the Western Cape.

Cele was on a visit in Mitchell's Plain on Friday when he insinuated that potholes are the reason hijackings happen in the area.

Cele essentially placing blame on the Democratic Alliance for how badly they have maintained the roads in the Western Cape, despite earlier pleading with the community members to not turn crime into a political issue, according to a report by The Citizen.

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DA wants Cele to be canned for hijacking comments

The DA was less than pleased about Cele remarks about hijackings and potholes and have made the call to have Cele removed as police minister.

DA Mayoral Candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis stated that Cele's remark was insulting to people living in Cape Town and have to deal with criminality on an everyday basis.

Hill-Lewis went on to say the Cele should be ashamed for his comment, further stating that Cele should step down or be fired, according to EWN.

South Africans have mixed reactions to Cele's remarks

Some people on social media totally disagreed with Cele about hijackings being linked to potholes in the Western Cape, while others were seemingly thought that Cele could have made a valid point.

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Here's what they had to say:

@mthi_kapoyi said:

"When people dislike you, they don't even want to understand a simple logic.. potholes are like robots you pace down and stop at some point.. there is a lot of things that can fuel crime, just simple things"

@ndiligeza:

"So hijacking in Western Cape is caused by Potholes? So if there were no potholes there would be no hijacking?"

@ErmiasVundla said:

"No guys. Potholes enable jackers to easily hijack vehicles. The real problem you're both disguising is the fact that there are syndicates who operate very hard there."

@Divo18082470 said:

"In other parts of South Africa hijackings are a result of poor policing, enforcement , intelligence, prosecutions. To sum it up, the incompetence of this govt in enforcing law and order. Potholes maybe an opportunist "weapon" but it's not a symptom of the "disease"

@LarrySi76339288 said:

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"So hijacking is only a thing in Cape Town.... Because the other roads are perfect... No potholes. Think this man has a pothole in his head."

Bheki Cele calls John Steenhuisen out for Phoenix posters: “Extra salt of racism”

Briefly News previously reported that Minister of Police Bheki Cele has raised concerns surrounding the DA's local government election campaign posters that have been put up in Phoenix, north of Durban.

Cele was speaking on Wednesday, 6 October during a street imbizo which followed complaints of excessive levels of crime in the community.

"I have always had my doubts about John Steenhuisen. I don't have doubts now. I'm flabbergasted about it. To me, he is nothing else but a thug, he is a political criminal and the nation must deal with him as such."

Source: Briefly News