Was Bheki Cele out on New Year’s Eve flouting Level 3 lockdown rules?
A video showing Police Minister Bheki Cele at a social event has been making the rounds on social media. Why, you ask? Mainly because it was said to have taken place on New Year’s Eve 2020 which meant going against and flouting Level 3 lockdown regulations.
The Police Ministry has since come out labelling the rumour as fake news.
WAS CELE PARTYING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE 2020?
According to the police ministry, the video of Cele was taken in 2017 — three years before the pandemic or lockdown regulations were introduced.
Here’s what the ministry had to say about the video;
“The Police Ministry has noted the circulation of a video of SA Police Service Minister Gen Bheki Cele at a social event. The video was taken in 2017 [and] not on New Year’s Eve 2020 under the adjusted Level 3 Lockdown as suggested by some social media users.”
This comes just after Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe was accused of flouting Level 3 lockdown rules when he hosted a wedding in his hometown in Cala, Eastern Cape. He has, however, professed his innocence saying that no restrictions were breached.
Read the full story here.
NXESI SLAMS DISTRIBUTION OF OLD PHOTOGRAPH SUGGESTING HE BROKE COVID-19 RULES
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has noted with great concern a photo that has been trending on social media portraying him as acting in contravention of the Disaster Management Act Regulations put in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a similar position as Bheki Cele, Nxesi in a statement put it on record that the picture was taken on 31 December 2017 during a private social gathering with friends.
“The photograph which shows the Minister asleep on a sofa, in the company of friends has been interpreted by most as evidence that the Minister broke lockdown regulations as announced by the President last week,” the minister’s spokesperson Sabelo Mali said.
“Therefore, posting such a photo now when the country is dealing with a serious pandemic of COVID-19 which the Minister also recently was a victim, is not only reckless but irresponsible to the extreme,” he added.
Nxesi tested positive for COVID-19 back in July 2020 – read the story here.
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