• Police Minister Bheki Cele has angered Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis following his instruction to police officers to “shoot first and ask questions later”.
• Cele was speaking at the launch of the province’s Safer Festive Season campaign in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain.
• His remarks sparked renewed calls for the devolution of police powers. 

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is fuming following comments made by Police Minister Bheki Cele instructing police officers to “shoot first and ask questions later”.

Cele spoke at the launch of the Western Cape’s Safer Festive Season campaign in Mitchells Plain on Tuesday.

During his address, Cele told the men in blue: “Shoot first and ask questions later. When you get into a war, you’re not even going to ask who started the war. You go shoot and ask later.

“Criminals have declared war. Don’t go around and ask them who started the war, when you find the war when you find the people raping women, where you find people breaking into the houses, where you find stealing in the houses, stealing the shops, raiding the shops, raiding the banks don’t ask questions who started. Join the war, shoot, and kill,” he said.

But Cele’s remarks angered Hill-Lewis.

“This instruction from the minister of police to the police officers under his watch is not only profoundly irresponsible, but it is also an incitement to break the law,” he said.

READ | Cele says Western Cape govt’s demand for devolution of police powers is just ‘a lot of noise’

Hill-Lewis added the Criminal Procedures Act provided clear guidelines on the appropriate and proportionate use of force for police officers.

Cele’s comments have renewed calls from the metro to devolve the police’s powers.

Hill-Lewis said:

He has reiterated his call to Cele to grant the City more powers for local police officers to fully investigate crime so that criminals are caught, prosecuted and put behind bars.

During its Safer Festive Season campaign, Cele announced the police have increased efforts to improve service delivery to communities through the injection of additional policing resources.

He said if the police wanted to flush out crime, they must operate with extra capacity.

“This display of force should serve as a warning shot to criminals but also demonstrate the commitment by this ministry and SAPS management to support to improve police service delivery.

“We want this in all provinces as it will allow police to continue to respond to all opportunistic criminal elements, not only this festive season but beyond,” Cele added.