The ghost hand of former police minister Bheki Cele is allegedly still turning the wheels at the South African Police Service (SAPS), even though President Cyril Ramaphosa recently appointed Senzo Mchunu to replace Cele.
Nonkululeko Phokane, Cele’s former chief of staff, has waltzed into the new role of head of communications at SAPS at the rank of major general.
The national police commissioner, Lt-Gen Fannie Masemola, allegedly masterminded the appointment, and the SAPS did not advertise the post. On Tuesday, provincial and sectional heads officially welcomed Phokane.
On the other hand, the SAPS Crime Intelligence Division is to set up a secret spy squad to monitor social media, and Cele’s political appointees have allegedly been handpicked for the operation, which secured the cohort new jobs just as ministry contracts expired with his exit from cabinet.
Political appointees in ministries have employment contracts that align with the minister’s term of office.
Sunday World understands that Masemola has been pushing for these highly coveted crime intelligence posts to be offered to Cele’s former staff members, whose primary task would be to track down criminal masterminds hiding behind social media profiles.
According to highly reliable sources, Masemola’s manoeuvre was part of a grand plan to seamlessly weave Cele’s political entourage into the fabric of SAPS, just as their political contracts in the ministry expired in June, revealing that Cele, a former national police commissioner, might still have a sneaky grip on the reins of SAPS.
A source in crime intelligence said: “There is already a section within crime intelligence that deals with social media monitoring, specifically commercial crimes, under intelligence collection, as well as in analysis and coordination departments. Cele just wants employment for his people.”
In January last year, Cele’s former legal adviser, Adv Simemosenkosi Chamane, was also propelled to the position of divisional commissioner for legal, although “he lacks experience for the post and other candidates more qualified than him were interviewed”.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said then that the appointment was done in good faith.
Police sources said Lt General Dumisani Khumalo was appointed twice during Cele’s tenure as minister: first as major general for the political killings task team without an interview, and second as divisional commissioner for crime intelligence, also without an interview.
“He only has matric and has no prior intelligence experience,” said an insider.
Major General Philani Lushaba, allegedly related to Cele, was made CFO of the secret service account without going through any interviews for the job, the person added.
“Cele [had] been getting rid of some major generals within crime intelligence and wants to replace them with his own so he could rule from the grave,” the source said.
