Police commissioner Khehla Sitole could lose job due to his support of Zuma

National police commissioner Khehla Sitole’s support of former president Jacob Zuma’s faction is one of the reasons he could lose his job.

Sithole was appointed police commission by Zuma in November 2017. 

At the beginning of October the Presidency confirmed that Sitole is facing suspension and has been invited to make a case against his suspension to the president.

President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote to Sitole after reports that the commissioner had frustrated a probe into corrupt procurement deals by the Crime Intelligence division. The investigations were being conducted by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

In March, The Citizen reported that Minister of Police Bheki Cele had sent a request to Ramaphosa to institute a probe against Sitole.

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Sitole is alleged to have failed to co-operate with Ipid’s probe into claims involving a money-laundering scheme to illegally access police funds and disburse them to buy votes at the ANC’s national elective conference in 2017.

The allegations also involve claims related to the procurement of a R45 million surveillance device known as a “grabber” that is used to intercept electronic communications.

City Press on Sunday reported that there are fresh allegations that Sitole set up a secret office for Zuma’s faction at the ANC’s elective conference in Mangaung in 2012.

It adds that people allegedly came in and out of this office with briefcases and bags full of cash. It also claims that Sitole pledged R60 million to Zuma’s faction at the Mangaung conference.

The money in the bags was meant to be paid to police officers who were working overtime at the Mangaung conference. However, it was allegedly used instead to pay pro-Zuma delegates.

The secret office was set up at the University of the Free State’s security offices, where the ANC conference was being held.