Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele has reportedly remained mum on the dismissal of the country’s police chief Khehla Sitole or his own future within the force.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday axed the police commissioner, saying that his dismissal was “by mutual agreement” and in the “best interests of the country”.
Sitole’s dismissal came in the aftermath of riots last July that left more than 350 dead, the worst unrest since the end of apartheid.
According to Times Live, Cele on Sunday dodged questions from journalists about the departure of Sitole. Instead, he said: “It is a presidency issue.
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“Not a single one [of the questions] I am going to answer because that is a presidency issue.”
When asked whether he believed his own job was safe, he said: “When time comes, I will go home.
“I definitely did not employ myself — what I know, is that I am doing my job and I will continue to do my job as long as I am given the opportunity. But when [the] time comes, I will go home. I don’t think I will have a problem,” according to the report.
The Citizen reported that while the sacking of Sitole had been widely welcomed by opposition parties and civil society, there were growing calls for Ramaphosa to fire Cele.
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Sitole, who had been at loggerheads with Cele over a number of issues, will serve his last day on 31 March, the report said.
In a statement, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said: “While the Sithole’s removal is welcomed, Police Minister Bheki Cele must follow suit if the President is serious about starting the hard work of rebuilding trust and credibility in the SAPS.
The tit-for-tat political spat between General Sithole and Minister Cele has rendered the SAPS ungovernable. A complete overhaul at the very top is necessary to undo the damage caused by both men.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
