CAPE TOWN, 23 October 2025– Former South African Police Minister Bheki Cele has expressed disappointment over recent media reports suggesting that he was unwilling to cooperate with Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating alleged police corruption.
Speaking on Thursday at the start of his testimony before the committee, Cele said he was “a little bit disturbed” by claims that he had refused to participate in the parliamentary inquiry.
Cele is currently giving evidence on the first day of his appearance before the ad hoc committee. His testimony is expected to cover issues relating to organised crime syndicates, failures within state institutions, his past interactions with Members of Parliament, and allegations concerning classified information.
Addressing the committee directly, Cele emphasised that he had consistently cooperated with the inquiry and had never ignored requests from the committee or its evidence leaders.
“I was a little bit disturbed when the media said I’m not cooperating, especially one of the KZN papers,” Cele said. “It had a big headline that ‘Cele snubs the ad hoc committee’. I have never done that.”
Cele added that he had personally covered his own travel expenses to attend meetings with evidence leaders in Cape Town, underlining his commitment to the process.
“Even during the first cooperation, I came here with my own finances, my own ticket, my everything, but I still came here for consultation,” he said.
The ad hoc committee’s ongoing investigation is examining allegations of corruption within the South African Police Service, including claims of interference, bribery, and political pressure. Cele’s testimony forms part of a broader effort by Parliament to hold mchunu-on-mogotsi">senior officials accountable and to restore public trust in the nation’s law enforcement institutions.
