Former police minister Bheki Cele has lashed out at South Africans for what he described as a “heartless” reaction to the death of former cabinet minister and ambassador Nathi Mthethwa, calling those who mocked or criticised the late diplomat “monsters.”
Cele made the remarks on Thursday night during a memorial service in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, where he delivered an emotional address filled with both anger and frustration.
“South Africans, you are Sodom and Gomorrah. I don’t care. You are heartless, have no conscience — you’re monsters,” Cele said, drawing gasps from some in attendance.
His outburst came after a wave of mixed public reactions to Mthethwa’s passing. While many mourned his death, others pointed to his controversial political record, accusing him of contributing to corruption and government failures during his tenure as minister of police and later as minister of sports, arts, and culture.
Mthethwa’s family has firmly rejected the corruption allegations, saying the late ambassador deserves respect in death. Cele echoed that sentiment, urging South Africans to show compassion and dignity.
“All is well. We hope that Mthethwa will arrive on time tomorrow,” Cele added, referring to the arrival of Mthethwa’s remains in South Africa. “We will bury him, and we hope that he will look back at his politics and influence certain people to get the ANC on the right path.”
A call to restore the ANC’s moral compass
Cele, who also serves as a member of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC), used the occasion to reflect on the internal decay within the ruling party. He criticised members who, in his view, have exploited the ANC for personal enrichment while abandoning its founding principles.
“We should stop crying for people who are destroying this party,” he said. “It should be clear when someone is not associated with the ANC but just wants money for contracts — because that is what has killed the party.”
His comments highlighted growing tensions within the ANC as the party faces widespread disillusionment over corruption scandals, service delivery failures, and leadership disputes.
Cele urged members to “go back to basics”, reconnect with communities, and restore the trust that once defined the movement.
“Let’s be the ANC we used to be. We should be part of our communities again,” he said. “We used to walk tall and ask ourselves whether people saw that we were part of the ANC. Today, we are scared to be seen as ANC.”
Criticism of poor service delivery
Cele didn’t hold back on the issue of service delivery either. Drawing from a recent experience in KwaMashu, he expressed dismay over deteriorating municipal infrastructure.
“Three weeks ago, I was driving through KwaMashu after attending a church event. My wife asked, ‘Why is there a river in this room? Did a sewer and clean water pipe burst? Where is the councillor?’ This river was running, and children were playing in it. I’m sure that area has an ANC councillor,” Cele recounted.
He urged local leaders to be visible and accountable, saying that citizens’ anger should be directed at those in power who neglect their duties.
“Allow people to swear at you. You need to avail yourselves and face the people, because when they don’t swear at you, they’ll swear at the ANC,” Cele warned. “I don’t believe the ANC is gone and finished. We must fix our ways.”
Mthethwa’s passing and final journey home
Nathi Mthethwa, 58, died last week on the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris, where he was serving as South Africa’s ambassador to France. His family travelled to France to perform traditional rituals to fetch his spirit before bringing his remains home.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Official Funeral (Category 2) for Mthethwa, to be held on Sunday in KwaMthethwa, KwaZulu-Natal. French authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
As South Africans debate Mthethwa’s legacy, Cele’s fiery speech has reignited national conversation about morality, respect for the dead, and the soul of the ANC itself. Whether his words spark change or controversy, they have once again put the party’s internal contradictions on full display.
