South Africa - Pretoria - 23 November 2022 - Deputy police minister Cassel Mathale, police minister Bheki Cele and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola at GCIS where the quarterly crime statistics were released. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency(ANA)
Johannesburg - The DA in Parliament is expected to lay criminal charges against the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, and the National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, today.
The party has accused the SAPS of purchasing spy equipment known as the grabber without clearance from state security and other relevant authorities.
“The charges are in connection with the illegal possession of spy equipment, known as ‘grabbers’ by the SAPS. In a recent revelation, Minister Cele admitted that the SAPS unlawfully purchased grabbers without obtaining the required certificate of exemption under the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) from the Minister of Justice. The possession of such equipment without a valid exemption certificate constitutes a criminal offence, as confirmed by the Minister of Justice himself,” the party said.
There were suspicions that this equipment was also used for political reasons and not for crime-solving purposes. The DA spokesperson on police, Andrew Whitfield, is expected to lay charges at the Cape Town Central Police Station.
“According to the RICA Act, the possession, sale, purchase, or advertisement of listed equipment like the grabbers is strictly prohibited. As leaders of SAPS, Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola knowingly allowed this criminal offence to occur, undermining the rule of law and compromising the privacy rights of every South African,” the party said.
This is not the first time that allegations of spy equipment being illegally used have come up in government affairs.
The City of Joburg is currently investigating the use of spy equipment that was purchased by the city’s corruption-busting unit, GFIS. It has been alleged that some DA councillors instructed the use of the spy equipment on non-DA councillors. The municipality has called for an inquiry into the matter.
The Star contacted police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe and the spokesperson for the Minister of Police, Lirandzu Themba for comments on the matter but didn’t receive a comment by publication.
The Star