Beki Cele goes after Ukhozi FM presenter Zimdollar: Charged with illegal firearms possession

A well-known SABC radio personality, Zimiphi “Zimdollar” Biyela ruffled some feathers when he made some accusations against South African Police and now Minister Beki Cele is reportedly showing her flames. She is scheduled to appear in court next month following reports that illicit firearms were discovered at her residence in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2020.

The presenter was summoned to appear before the Eshowe magistrate’s court on December 12, according to police confirmation.

Also Read: SA police Minister Bheki Cele blames Zimdollar for death of cop

According to Col. Robert Netshiunda, a provincial police spokesperson, the arrest came after officers discovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a.22 rifle,.303 rifles, and ammo rounds at the residence in November 2020.

Netshiunda said police also found a suspected stolen vehicle engine with its number erased. He said the suspect faces charges of unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property.

Zimdollar fears for her life after calling police trigger happy live on air

“Zimdollar” revealed that she feared for her life after she accused the police in KwaZulu Natal of being trigger-happy. Zimdollar, as she is affectionately known, made the statement live on air last month after an alleged criminal was killed in a shootout with the police.

Subsequently, the radio personality who comes from a family which is in the taxi business hired private security as bodyguards to protect her.

Sources close to the situation said that she hired bodyguards sometime shortly after she made the controversial comments.

“We were surprised when she arrived at work with bodyguards. We know that her family is in the taxi business but no one expected her to have bodyguards. we feel that was a bit extreme, I doubt the police are out to get her or even want to harm her,” the source said, adding that the bodyguards drop her at work and pick her up when she knocks off.

Beki Cele lambasts Zimdollar

During the funeral of Warrant Officer Sithembiso Mazibuko, Police Minister Bheki Cele slammed Zimdollar for the comments she made about the police and blamed her for the officer’s death.

Mazibuko was attached to the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and was shot dead during a shootout between the police and criminals.

Mazibuko and his team acted on intelligence they had received about the whereabouts of wanted suspects, including one that was linked to 12 murders of the public police forum members in Ntuzuma.

Zimdollar accused the police of always having a reason to shoot and kill suspects and later claimed that they were being shot at. “Why are they always shot at? We are not children there is an order issued for cops to kill people. Innocent people end up dying,” she said during her show.

She went on to blame the police for the deaths of her two brothers, whom she claims were also killed by members of NIU.

At Mazibuko’s funeral, Cele said:, “There is a girl called Zimdollar who went on radio and barked, barked as she pleased. She said everyone was scared of NIU and that people should stop being scared of the unit, in other words, she was saying criminals should kill our members, she made a call and it happened. She must be happy now,” Cele said.

The minister says that the presenter used a national asset, the SABC to be a spokesperson for criminals. “I challenge the SABC to tell me what they think of Zimdollar statement,” he added.