Bheki Cele’s axing as police commissioner seven years ago declared invalid
The high court in Pretoria on Tuesday set aside the decision by former president Jacob Zuma to fire Bheki Cele as national police commissioner on allegations of corruption. Zuma fired Cele in June 2012 after a board of inquiry found that he was not fit to hold office. The inquiry was mandated by the former president to establish whether Cele had acted corruptly, dishonestly, or with an undeclared conflict of interest in relation to two police lease deals he signed. Cele approached the court to challenge the board’s findings and Zuma’s decision to axe him. In 2014, Cele was appointed deputy agriculture minister and in 2018 after the resignation of Zuma as state president, Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as police minister. Cele’s office on Tuesday said the court found in his favour and set aside the decision with costs. The ministry of police said the court declared Cele’s removal “invalid, and of no force and effect”. Ministry spokeswoman Reneilwe Serero said after his appoin...
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