Calls mount for Ramaphosa to fire Bheki Cele following Sitole’s axing

While the termination of National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole has been widely welcomed by opposition parties and civil society, there are growing calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Police Minister Bheki Cele. 

The Presidency on Friday confirmed that Sitole’s early termination of his contract term was by mutual agreement, and “in the best interests of the country”.

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Sitole, who has been at loggerheads with Cele over a number of issues, will serve his last day on 31 March.

Political spat between Sitole, Cele 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision to terminate Sitole’s employment, but said “Cele must follow suit if the president is serious about starting the hard work of rebuilding trust and credibility” in the South African Police Service (Saps). 

“The tit-for-tat political spat between General Sitole 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,” said DA MP and spokesperson on police, Andrew Whitfield, in a statement. 

‘Misfiring’

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), on the other hand, described Sitole’s early termination of his contract as “yet another instance of misfiring by Cyril Ramaphosa that is based purely on factional interests”.

The Red Berets said Sitole became a casualty of Ramaphosa’s “cowardice and attempt to please his henchman Bheki Cele”.

The party believes that the police minister is at the centre of the challenges confronting Saps, and he should be fired.

EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said Ramaphosa fired the wrong person.

“Cele is an egotistical individual, who wants to treat the entire police force like a personal inheritance, where everyone must abide by his desires.

“He is a character who seeks to micro-manage other individuals, even those who run the bureaucracy of the police, because he believes that he is an expert in all matters relating to security,” Tambo said in a statement. 

‘Political casualty’

At the same time, the South African Policing Union (Sapu) also called on the president to fire Cele from the police ministry.

“We can say as a union that the departure of General Sitole is not in the good interests of the country, but in the interests of politics,” Sapu’s general secretary Tumelo Mogodiseng told eNCA on Saturday, describing Sitole as a “political casualty” of the public spat between him and Cele.

“Why the mutual agreement? Has General Sitole failed on his duties? And if he has failed on his duties, why can’t he be held accountable and answer all these questions?” Mogodiseng asked.

Civil rights body Action Society also added its voice to the growing chorus of calls for Cele to be axed. 

The organisation’s director of community safety, Ian Cameron, said Sitole’s departure was “a small step in the right direction, but Police Minister Bheki Cele must also be sacked whilst an independent panel is appointed to select a competent national commissioner.”

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