National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele has not been offered a diplomatic post, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement on Sunday.
“The department wishes to put on record that there has been no decision or even discussion whatsoever with General Cele or anyone at any level regarding a diplomatic posting for Cele,” said spokesperson Clayson Monyela.
“All diplomats are put through a training programme before they are sent abroad to represent the government and people of South Africa. General Cele has not gone through this training and there is no plan for him to do so,” he said.
The Sunday Independent reported last week that Cele had been axed and asked to take up a diplomatic post in Canada and that he was expected to vacate his office by November 30.
Police immediately rejected the report, describing it as the product of incompetence and corruption.
“The South African Police Service (SAPA) would like to assure the South African public that General Cele is very much entrenched in his position as national commissioner,” said his spokesperson Major-General Nonkululeko Mbatha.
“No amount of dirty tricks … will ever destabilise the organisation,” said Mbatha.
She said a disinformation campaign against Cele was being run by the “criminal underworld” with assistance from “their friends in the media”.
At the time, the Sunday Independent said it stood by its report, a stance it reiterated in a front page article on Sunday.
“Our sources insist, in spite of Cele’s refutations, that the information supplied was credible,” said editor Makhudu Sefara.
“We wish we knew what [Mbatha] meant by criminal underworld sources,” said Sefara.
“We would like to advise the commissioner to approach the Press Ombudsman, as he has threatened to do so. We will meet him there and accordingly argue our case.” — Sapa