The Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, has reacted to the Democratic Alliance’s elections poster in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal.

The poster reads: “The ANC calls you racists, the DA calls you heroes.”

According to the party, it was put up to honour those who protected their property during the July unrest which claimed 36 lives. Cele described the killings as “painful”, adding that he is “flabbergasted” at the actions of party leader John Steenhuisen.

He also added that a team appointed to look into allegations of racism during the unrest, has led to the arrest of 56 people. At least one is facing six murder charges for that of “innocent people that had nothing to do with what has happening”.

Steenhuisen however hit back, denying that the party has used the deaths as a political tool. He added that Phoenix residents deserve to be called heroes because they “didn’t retreat in the face of danger or hide away like the SA Police Service and [minister] Bheki Cele’s people.”

Speaking in Gauteng , during a street imbizo in Mabopane, Cele said the election posters erected in the area is rubbing salt into an open wound.

VOCfm