Public Protector clears Bheki Cele of SAPS helicopter misuse allegations

Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has cleared former police minister Bheki Cele of accusations of chartering an SA Police Service (SAPS) helicopter to attend the ANC’s 2024 election manifesto launch in February last year.

The DA complained to Gcaleka after Cele was seen arriving at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium in an SAPS helicopter.

Andrew Whitfield, the DA’s then shadow police minister, accused Cele of making use of the official aircraft as his taxi or e-hailing service to and from a political party event.

Whitfield also rejected Cele and the SAPS’s averment that the former minister’s use of the helicopter was in line with his “constitutional responsibility as a Minister of Police”.

In addition, Whitfield said should it be found that the SAPS helicopter collected Cele from any location other than its assigned base (and particularly if he was collected from King Shaka International Airport) and/or that its flight plan included no other activity but to transport him to and from the manifesto launch event, it would no doubt support the submissions that the former minister’s use of the helicopter was solely personal.

He further stated that it was wholly unrelated to any oversight or operational duties (which the former minister is in any event not entitled to undertake), and certainly not in line with his constitutional responsibility as the police minister.

Whitfield alleged that Cele used his position in the national executive to improperly benefit himself by making use of an SAPS helicopter for private and party-political travel.

However, Gcaleka found evidence indicating that the operational planning relating to policing for the launch of the ANC manifesto event was arranged by members of the SAPS led by one of its senior generals.

“The evidence at the Public Protector’s disposal indicates that as part of safety and security planning for the event, approval for utilisation of an SAPS helicopter was granted by the Air Wing Support Unit Commander for the purpose of aerial surveillance and law enforcement during ANC manifesto launch,” reads Gcaleka’s report.

The only passengers were Cele and the top general in the SAPS helicopter used for aerial surveillance covering areas around Moses Mabhida Stadium during the ANC manifesto launch.

Cele also used a commercial airline to travel from Cape Town to Durban and back.

Gcaleka could not find any evidence to indicate that the SAPS helicopter was used to transport Cele beyond the various operational points at Moses Mabhida Stadium and surrounding areas.

In response to the Public Protector, Cele said the allegations that he abused the SAPS helicopter for personal use are without substance or truth because, as the then head of the police, he had a constitutional obligation to perform his responsibilities effectively.

He said his obligations included the responsibility to oversee the protection and security of all the country’s inhabitants and was accordingly acting in furtherance of his constitutional obligation by supervising operations during the manifesto launch.

Whitfield did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

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