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South Africa police chief Bheki Cele fired by Jacob Zuma | South Africa police chief Bheki Cele fired by Jacob Zuma |
(about 1 hour later) | |
South African President Jacob Zuma has fired police chief Gen Bheki Cele, who had been accused of corruption. | South African President Jacob Zuma has fired police chief Gen Bheki Cele, who had been accused of corruption. |
Mr Zuma told reporters he had "decided to release Gen Cele of his duties". | |
He said Gen Cele would be replaced by Mangwashi Phiyega, making her the country's first female police chief. | |
Gen Cele, whose predecessor was jailed for corruption, was suspended in October after it emerged he had been implicated in alleged unlawful property deals - he had denied any wrongdoing. | |
He played a key role in Mr Zuma's hard-fought campaign to be elected president in 2009. | He played a key role in Mr Zuma's hard-fought campaign to be elected president in 2009. |
Last year a South African corruption investigator, Thuli Madonsela, ruled that police buildings were leased from a company at inflated prices. | Last year a South African corruption investigator, Thuli Madonsela, ruled that police buildings were leased from a company at inflated prices. |
Ms Madonsela - who is South Africa's public protector, a role similar to that of an ombudsman - accused Gen Cele of being among those who were ultimately responsible for the "fatally flawed" deals. | Ms Madonsela - who is South Africa's public protector, a role similar to that of an ombudsman - accused Gen Cele of being among those who were ultimately responsible for the "fatally flawed" deals. |
Successive scandals | |
She investigated leases for buildings intended to serve as police headquarters in the capital, Pretoria, and the eastern city of Durban. | She investigated leases for buildings intended to serve as police headquarters in the capital, Pretoria, and the eastern city of Durban. |
She ruled that the government paid the company inflated prices, concluding that the deals were "illegitimate". | She ruled that the government paid the company inflated prices, concluding that the deals were "illegitimate". |
South Africa's government has been hit by a succession of scandals recently. | |
In October, Mr Zuma fired two government ministers accused of corruption. | |
The president sacked Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka, who was accused of unauthorised spending. | |
It came after Ms Madonsela ruled that Ms Mahlangu-Nkabinde had authorised multi-million dollar property deals in the scandal that has now cost Gen Cele his job. | |
Ms Mahlangu-Nkabinde denied doing anything illegal. | |
Public money 'dishonesty' | |
In a separate investigation, Ms Madonsela found that Mr Shiceka had spent more than $68,000 (£42,000) of government money on unauthorised luxury travel and hotel bills. | |
This included visits to a girlfriend jailed in Switzerland for drug smuggling. | |
Ms Madonsela said his actions "constituted maladministration [and] dishonesty in respect of public money". | |
He denied any wrongdoing. | |
Gen Cele was promoted to become police chief in 2010, when his predecessor Jackie Selebi was convicted of taking $156,000 (£100,378) in bribes from drug dealer Glenn Agliotti. | Gen Cele was promoted to become police chief in 2010, when his predecessor Jackie Selebi was convicted of taking $156,000 (£100,378) in bribes from drug dealer Glenn Agliotti. |