Veteran Monitor Warns of a Road to Dictatorship in South Africa

In an open letter to South Africa's Parliament, veteran violence and police monitor Mary De Haas gives a bone-chilling account of the escalating political interference and unchecked power exhibited by Police Minister Bheki Cele, which she fears may be steering the country towards full-blown dictatorship.

De Haas expresses profound concern over the increasing "political meddling" within the South African Police Service (SAPS), implicating Minister Bheki Cele as the mastermind facilitating a surge in violent crime, while exploiting taxpayers for his extravagant travel, subsistence costs, and other irregular expenditures.

According to De Haas, Cele's personal involvement extends to SAPS Crime Intelligence, with two CIS management members reportedly operating on his behalf, despite lacking necessary clearances. This, she warns, places free and fair elections in jeopardy and calls for immediate redress.

Highlighting her growing trepidation specifically towards Bheki Cele, De Haas highlights the 4000 police members with criminal convictions, the 700 missing guns from SAPS custody, the rampant corruption, and the revolving door of trainees buying their way into the system.

De Haas also criticises the public and media's lack of challenge against Cele's claims and inconsistencies, including his discreditable dismissal from National Commissioner and suspicions surrounding his dubious involvement in the 2010 World Cup tender scandal.

She further points fingers towards President Cyril Ramaphosa, charging him with an oversight failure that allows such detrimental practices to thrive unchecked, thus setting the stage for a potential police state.