Police Minister Bheki Cele on Wednesday said that he was not convinced that Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema’s remarks against officers were taken out of context, despite claims to the contrary.
Malema made several warnings against the police, saying his party was willing to fight them in their homes.
“If South African police want a fight, they must declare it. We will treat them the same way we treated them in the 80s, we will not only fight them at the picket lines, we will go to their homes and fight them in their own houses with their own families…we will come for you one by one at your own comfort zone,” Malema was quoted as saying.
While the red berets said that the minister was taking the remarks out of context, Cele warned that there would be consequences against anyone who acted against police officers or their family members.
“As a political organisation, the EFF and its leader have every right to express their views on the government of the day. However, the threat to the lives of the police, their loved ones, and their homes won’t be tolerated or allowed to happen,” Cele said in a statement.