THE national police commissioner Khehla Sitole has hit back at the police minister Bheki Celel for claiming in parliament that he had plotted with EFF leader Julius Malema for his removal.
Responding during the State of the Nation Address debate on Monday, Malema said it was a blunder to appoint Cele as police minister when he had occupied the position of police commissioner.
Malema said this created fertile ground for Cele to compete with Sitole for power and control of the police force.
An angry Cele lashed out at the EFF leader, accusing him of plotting with Sitole for his removal.
“I am not going to go back to the 10th of December where there was a meeting by yourself and the national commissioner and a plan and plot were hatched that I must be chased.I am not surprised this is happening,” Cele said on Monday.
But in a statement issued on behalf of the national commissioner on Tuesday, Sitole said he was “shocked and dismayed” at the politically incendiary remarks made by the police minister in Parliament.
“The national commissioner confirms he met with Mr Julius Malema, a meeting initiated by the ministry of police. The meeting was held specifically at the behest of the deputy minister of police, Cassel Charlie Mathale.”
Former police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo, who issued the statement on behalf of Cele, said Sitole had received a request from Mathale to attend a meeting with Malema to discuss threats against the EFF leader.
“Mr Malema met with the national commissioner and head of protection and security services, Lt-Gen Sam Shitlabane, in 2020 at the Tshwane training academy. The meeting was solely about the alleged threats against Mr Malema and nothing else. Feedback was provided to the deputy minister,” Naidoo said.
According to Naidoo, Sitole was under the impression that Cele was aware of the content of the meeting as it was facilitated by his deputy.
“During a television interview with the minister on Sona 2022 on February 11, he indicated the national commissioner was not in attendance at the Sona. This is also not correct. The national commissioner is invited by the president, as it is customary to do for every Sona. The same was done this year and the national commissioner attended the Sona of 2022,” said Naidoo.
He said parliament records would confirm Sitole’s attendance.
“The national commissioner is amazed his name and image is being tarnished for political reasons. He decided to issue this statement of clarity since his name is mentioned in parliament, and it’s important for such an institution to know and understand the facts,” he said.
On Tuesday, Parliament ordered Cele to withdraw his statement.
Cele has since withdrawn his statement.
Analysts and police unions have said in the last few months that there was a “less than cordial relationship” between the Sitole and Cele, some of if playing out publicly, “much to the embarrassment of the nation”.
- * Inside Politics
