Minister of Police General Bheki Cele has torn into Ukhozi FM presenter Zimiphi Biyela, known to radio listeners as Zim Dollar, for advocating that police be shot and killed.
Cele accused the famous presenter of using the SABC public platform to attack the police and call for their killing.
This comes after Biyela complained about the killing of innocent people, including a close taxi boss and five of her brothers who were allegedly killed by the police.
Speaking during a funeral of Warrant Officer Sthembiso Mazibuko, from the National Intervention Unit (NIU), who was shot dead while tracing a wanted suspect, Cele said the presenter’s comments were uncalled and they instigated violence against police members.
“There is a lady on radio, called Zim Dollar, who went to a radio station and spoke ill of the police. She said whatever she wanted to say about the NIU. She went on a tirade against the police on two things: She gave us a speech about the death of her brothers, without explaining how she lost them at the hands of the NIU. She also said the NIU is feared and killed innocent people. In short, she said the police should not be feared,” Cele said.
“This is the call of someone who used the resources of the SABC, a public broadcaster, to instigate violence against the police. Now, these are the results of her utterances. One of your own has been killed. When she said the NIU killed innocent people in their sleep, this was an order for the police to be killed,” Cele added.
In September, the presenter allegedly accused the police of being “trigger happy” after the death of a certain businessman who was killed, allegedly in a shoot-out with the police. She said her brothers died at the hands of the police.
“They (the police) shot and killed all of them (my brothers) but no one has investigated the police claims … This thing of allowing police to be trigger happy must end,” Biyela is quoted as saying.
On Monday, SABC acting group executive corporate affairs Mmoni Seapolelo said the public broadcaster had dealt with this matter internally following complaints the SAPS lodged against Biyela.
“The SABC has dealt with the matter within its stakeholder relationship management framework and internal processes. Furthermore, an apology to both the stakeholder concerned and a public apology on Ukhozi FM was issued,” said Seapolelo.