National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele has not been fired by President Jacob Zuma, the presidency said on Sunday.
“There is no such thing. No. It’s pure speculation. There is no truth to that report,” presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in response to an article in the Sunday Independent.
It reported that Cele had been axed and was asked to take on a diplomatic post in Canada. He was expected to vacate his office by November 30.
The dismissal was reportedly the result of a report by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela which implicated him in controversial R1.7-billion lease deals for buildings in Durban and Pretoria.
Madonsela found that Cele had been involved in improper conduct and maladministration.
The report quoted a source as saying, “Cele keeps on saying he is not going anywhere but we have seen documents confirming that he has accepted ambassadorship and he is going to Canada.”
Zuma was reported as saying he intended to institute an inquiry into allegations of misconduct against Cele for his role in the procurement while Cele had responded “comprehensively” to Zuma’s notice.
The president considered Cele’s representations and in turn offered him an ambassadorship, which Cele accepted.
Cele’s spokesperson Major-General Nonkululeko Mbatha initially said she could not comment on the matter before speaking to Cele but later said, “Cele is going to Guinea Bissau, Equitorial Guinea, Papau New Guinea, Canada, Japan, Iceland, Panama and Outer Mongolia”.
Democratic Alliance police spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said it did not matter whether the newspaper article was correct or not.
“Either way something has to be done about Bheki Cele and the Public Protector’s report,” she said.
There had been a tendency by the government to simply relocate “inconvenient” politicians to ambassadorial posts, said Kohler-Barnard.
“It’s extraordinary … people are not being held accountable but are instead put into positions where they receive pensions and salaries.” — Sapa