‘He has verbal diarrhea’ – EFF slam Bheki Cele after ’21:00 bed-time’ row

Police Minister Bheki Cele has seemingly outdone himself this week, after his calls for South Africans to be ‘in bed by 21:00’ drew derision across the country. His speech during a police parade in KwaMashu went down like a lead balloon, and EFF leader Julius Malema has also moved to stick the boot in.

Bed-time story: Bheki Cele ignites war of words

For those of you who missed what Bheki Cele said on Wednesday, here’s a glorious reminder. He also cancelled a date and outlawed ‘tin-hitting’, causing concerns about just how tightly he was wearing his hat…

“We are experiencing something we’ve never gone through. This time, there is no 31 December. There is no New Year’s Eve. There is no tin-hitting. By 21:00, we want everybody ‘ulele’. Everybody must be in bed by 21:00. It’s important to understand this.”

Bheki Cele

Julius Malema slams minister ‘madness’

Citizens have, for the most part, laughed off the suggestion. The ANC stalwart seems to be confusing curfew with bed-time. Julius Malema joined the chorus of rejection, branding the minister’s calls as ‘madness’.

“The President said we should celebrate at home – he never said we must sleep at 21:00. That madness won’t happen… I won’t do the candles, and I certainly won’t be sleeping at 21:00 [in reference to Bheki Cele].”

Julius Malema

Of course, Malema’s defiance won’t come as a surprise to many. The 39-year-old was criticised yesterday for allegedly partying in large groups over the festive period. Juju has since hit back, claiming that he was only in the company of immediate family and was allowed to socialise outdoors, given that the events happened during Level 1 of lockdown.

President said we should celebrate at home, he never said we must sleep at 9pm. That madness won't happen, sleep well sir. I won't do candles and won't be sleeping at 9.

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) December 31, 2020

EFF take on Bheki Cele in ferocious statement

However, shortly after 10:00 on Thursday, the EFF followed up Malema’s vitriol with an official statement, striking a verbose tone and comprehensively dismissing Bheki Cele’s authority to govern. The party hammered the minister for ‘suffering from verbal diarrhea’ and declared that he spoke like a ‘misguided fool’. It’s a damning message from the Red Berets:

“Bheki Cele has contradicted the president with his stupid regulations, claiming we should be in bed by 21:00. The police must not harass citizens because of this misguided imbecile, who clearly suffers from verbal diarrhea’.”

“Bheki Cele is an anti-black minister. He uses violent language when he talks to blacks, but stays very romantic when he talks to whites. He is nowhere to be found when we are fighting corruption, GBV, and CIT robberies. As such, no black person should listen to him. We are not a police state – Cele must tell his kids when to sleep, not us.”

EFF statement

• You can read the EFF’s full statement on Bheki Cele here

EFF Statement On The Utterances Made By Bheki Cele pic.twitter.com/pQPFIp7UF5

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) December 31, 2020