Row over 'monkey' jibe at Briton

South Africa's opposition party has called for the county's chief of police to retract a remark in which he called a British man, accused of killing his wife on their honeymoon, a "monkey".

By The Newsroom

Published 14th Dec 2010, 15:20 BST

Updated 14th Dec 2010, 20:04 BST

Shrien Dewani, 30, is accused of ordering the murder of Anni, 28, who was found dead in the back of an abandoned taxi with a bullet wound to her neck.

General Bheki Cele, the national commissioner of the South African Police Service, told a South African newspaper last week: "One monkey came from London to kill his wife here. He thought we South Africans were stupid.

"Don't kill people here."

Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohle said: "I shall be writing today to the minister of police, Nathi Mthethwa, requesting that he compel the commissioner to issue the apology and retraction immediately."

A police spokeswoman said Mr Cele's quotes had been "taken out of context".