Here’s why Bheki Cele is deploying Amabherethe in Soweto after mass murder

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Police minister Bheki Cele says a police tactical response team, Amabherethe, will be deployed in Soweto to help local police after the mass shooting at a tavern.

Over the weekend 15 people were shot dead and at least nine others wounded at a tavern in Orlando East, Soweto. 

All the dead and injured were over 18 years of age and the tavern was operating within legal hours.

Addressing community members on Monday, Cele said the tactical response team will reclaim the area from thugs. 

“By the time you go to bed, the team will be patrolling the area. You must know once I’ve deployed Amabherethe you can’t ask me to collect them when they start doing their work. Once they have arrived, it will be clear they are here,” he said.

Cele urged community members to work with the team to ensure patrolling goes accordingly. 

“We urge you to work with them so they can patrol the area and protect the community. As you heard, power cuts in the area are a challenge adding to policing issues so we will increase visibility and saturate the streets as police take back power from the thugs,” he said. 

The minister said 135 spent AK-47 cartridges were picked up at the scene together with cartridges from smaller pistols, and police are looking for five suspects, not two.

Patron safety is responsibility of tavern owners

On Sunday ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the safety of patrons was the responsibility of tavern owners and not the security cluster.

“The national security cluster does not safeguard taverns. The security cluster is not responsible for establishments that sell alcohol in villages and townships. The expectation is that those who run the establishments have to go the extra mile to protect their patrons,” said Mabe.

“We have to deal with gender-based violence and violent crimes and suddenly we must establish a dedicated unit in the police service that looks at taverns. It’s not possible.”

He said it was a concern that the recent deaths occurred at establishments that sell alcohol.  

“A week ago, we had 21 young people who passed on at Enyobeni tavern in the Eastern Cape. In Soweto, there are 15 and there was an incident in KwaZulu-Natal. All these incidents are happening at taverns. It’s coincidental but must worry us.”

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