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Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and Democratic Alliance president Mmusi Maimane were at each other’s throats on Twitter this morning over the police arrest blunder in Cape Town.
In September, the police announced that 11 people died following a shooting in the Marikana informal settlement, Philippi East in the Western Cape.
A week ago, Mbalula announced on Twitter that the police had identified the suspects and would be tracking them down.
Breaking news : Coming up we have nailed the suspects in the cpt marikana murder ..... We will find them incl the notorius twin...
— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) October 6, 2017
Annoyed by a sketch by cartoonist Zapiro, which was published on Sunday, the minister took to Twitter once again to report the arrest of the alleged suspects of the shooting in Philippi East.
But his post made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Various news outlets reported today that the arrest was a blunder and that six of the 10 suspects were members of a family transporting a coffin containing a deceased relative to the funeral in the Eastern Cape.
Maimane quipped on Twitter that Mbalula was focused on being famous rather than doing his job.
This is a minister focused on being famous than doing his job. It’s outrageous, & I will join law action against him for this. #SqueezeMbaks https://t.co/IJ1ZwA2EeF
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) October 13, 2017
The insults flew back and forth, and resulted in the most high profile political Twitter war since the clash between former DA president Helen Zille and DA KwaZulu-Natal minister of the provincial legislature Mbali Ntuli.
I Challenge @MmusiMaimane
— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) October 13, 2017
I’m in Hanover Park, Phillipi Cape Town at Operations to fight crime now
Join me here and let’s see real wok https://t.co/BrHuLJLwmJ
Quick shocking Muruti that during our focus in Cape Town, fighting crimes where DA governs - you join choruses that discredits that work. https://t.co/BrHuLJLwmJ
— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) October 13, 2017
Been in CapeTown working with SAPS to fight criminality Ntate Muruti @MmusiMaimane is promising legal action defending suspected criminals
— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) October 13, 2017
I’m defending our people who were not criminals & u used them for your Twitter. 1st priority is to allocate more police in poor communities
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) October 13, 2017
Maimane pledges to help victims sue:
I’m working on it. This is appalling. #squeezeMbaks
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) October 13, 2017
Mbalula called on Maimane to join him “to fight crime”.
@MmusiMaimane this is what is happening in Cape Flats,I’m here today with Operations
— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) October 13, 2017
I challenge you again to join us in fighting crime pic.twitter.com/6ys5SeZBzQ
Maimane stopped engaging on social media, and upped the ante using the medium the DA has become famous for ... a press statement.
“The conduct of Minister Fikile Mbalula and SAPS members involved in the arrest of the 10 men alleged to have been responsible for the Phillipi killings is a serious violation of these individual’s human and constitutional rights,” wrote Phumzile van Damme, the DA national spokesperson.
The party said it would approach the South Africa Human Rights Commission and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate Mbalula for assault and infringing on the human rights of the alleged suspects.
“It is not the first time that the minister has posted photos of arrested people, with the faces of some in full view. Mbalula has no idea how to build a professional and efficient police force. He is far more interested in selfies and increasing his following on Twitter,” the DA alleged.
“The human rights commission must therefore investigate the pictures and posts of arrested persons made by the minister to date in order to determine whether or not human rights abuses have taken place, and make recommendations on it.”
