Police minister Bheki Cele says he travelled to former president Jacob Zuma’s home in northern KwaZulu-Natal “to hear his concerns”.
Cele revealed this during a question-and-answer session following his release of crime statistics on Friday. The police minister had a three-hour-long meeting with Zuma at the former president’s Nkandla homestead on Thursday.
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He would still not disclose exactly what was discussed but said there was nothing amiss about meeting the former president as he had not been arrested. “I was in Nkandla. I didn’t drink tea, but water. I think that’s that,” said Cele.
“We spoke about several things, including things that are prevailing. The other question is why I should visit someone who is about to be arrested. I don’t know if he is [to be] arrested. We were there to hear his concerns,” said Cele.
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He lambasted criticism about using state vehicles for the visit: “Was I supposed to take an Uber?” The meeting coincided with Zuma facing the prospect of being imprisoned for his defiance of a Constitutional Court order to appear before the state capture inquiry.
Shortly after the departure of Cele’s convoy, Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. took to social media, saying the visit featured no tea, just “great conversation and laughs”.
