PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has “relieved” national police commissioner Bheki Cele of his duties for his role in the controversial R1.7 billion police lease deals.
The Sunday Independent can reveal today that Cele – who has courted controversy since he joined the police service 27 months ago – will vacate his office at the end of November. Two senior government officials have confirmed that Cele has been asked to leave and will be joining the legion of “problematic” top bureaucrats who are either suspected of fraud, maladministration and corruption, or incompetence who have been posted to the country’s missions abroad.
The government officials said Cele had accepted a posting to Canada.
“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,” said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Canadian government has to first accept Cele and inform the South African government accordingly.
The Sunday Independent has also established that Moe Shaik, the head of the foreign arm of the Department of State Security, the SA Secret Service, will be South Africa’s ambassador to Japan.
Cele’s removal signals Zuma’s bid to avoid a bruising battle before the ANC elective conference in Mangaung, Free State, in December next year by providing a soft landing for all his allies who have a cloud hanging over their heads, especially those who played a role in his rise to power.
Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, the former president of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union, who was central to Zuma’s core, going to Polokwane, was sacked as Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities after failing to get her department off the ground, and sent to Egypt as an ambassador.
Geoff Doidge, a key figure in the lease saga, was sent to Sri Lanka, after apparently misleading Zuma about the 500 000 jobs the president promised to create within the first six months after taking office. Zuma failed to meet this target and had to endure scorn from his critics.
On August 20 this year, Cele issued an ultimatum to suspended head of crime intelligence Richard Mdluli, asking him to explain why he should not be axed from the police service, and nine days later, Zuma did the same to Cele. Zuma said he intended to institute an inquiry into allegations of misconduct against Cele for his role in the procurement of office space for the police in Pretoria and Durban.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Cele and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde guilty of improper conduct and maladministration.
Mahlangu-Nkabinde has approached the North Gauteng High Court to nullify the deal.
Cele has since responded “comprehensively” to Zuma’s notice.
The president considered Cele’s representations and in turn offered him an ambassadorship, which Cele has accepted.
Mdluli was the source of the report which fingered Cele as one of the politicians who were plotting to oust Zuma at Mangaung in 2012.
The alleged crime intelligence report included names of ANC leaders known to be Zuma loyalists like Cele, KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize and ANC national executive committee members such as Jeff Radebe, Julius Malema, Mathews Phosa, Thandi Modise, Bathabile Dlamini, Fikile Mbalula and Tony Yengeni.
Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj refused to comment and referred all questions to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. “Sorry, I can’t help you on that one. You will have to phone the national intelligence and international relations,” he said.
Clayson Monyela, the spokesman for International Relations and Co-operation said: “I can neither confirm nor deny the names of those individuals and the countries you are talking about.”
State Security spokesman Brian Dube said: “We cannot comment on rumours or speculation.”
Shaik said: “I have no idea what you are talking about. There are people who are desperate to see me leave the intelligence services.”
Cele’s spokeswoman Major-General Nonkululeko Mbatha initially said she could not comment on the matter before speaking to Cele.
Moments later, she said: “Cele is going to Guinea Bissau, Equitorial Guinea, Papau New Guinea, Canada, Japan, Iceland, Panama and Outer Mongolia,” indicating the media inquiries the general had received. - Sunday Independent