South Africa’s top cop has created a race row after calling British murder suspect Shrien Dewani a ‘monkey’.
General Bheke Cele, the country’s national police commissioner, was criticising Dewani for allegedly paying to have his wife Anni killed while on honeymoon in South Africa.
The country’s media reported Cele as saying: “One monkey came from London to kill his wife here.
“Shrien thought we, South Africans, were stupid when he came all the
way to kill his wife in our country. He lied to himself.”
Cele is a political appointee and has no previous
policing experience. He has effectively staked his force’s reputation on the case.
His spokesman Nonkululeko Mbatha told the Daily Telegraph: “The General has full
faith in his force.
“He was aware from very early in the case of Shrien’s involvement, but was
unable to say anything publically until now. Mr Dewani must come back to
South Africa to face justice here.”
Police say they have obtained CCTV video evidence which apparently shows Mr Dewani
handing money to the driver after Anni’s killing. It is understood this would be the first piece of solid evidence linking Dewani to his wife’s murder.
Dewani is currently behind bars in a UK jail and facing extradition back to
Cape Town to face murder charges.
