ISS: Cele has an opportunity to redeem himself
A dark cloud hangs over the head of newly appointed Police Minister Bheki Cele who was found guilty of wrongdoing during his stint as national police commissioner.
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Cele as his police minister in a cabinet reshuffle on Monday evening.
Cele was fired as the National Police Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in 2012.
Former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, found Cele and then Public Works Minister, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde guilty of wrongdoing, branding their conduct as "improper, unlawful, and amounting to maladministration".
A board of inquiry found Cele to be unfit for office in terms of the SAPS Act.
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The investigations related to Cele artificially inflating the price of lease agreements for police headquarters in Pretoria and Durban.
The Institute of Security Studies' (ISS) Garth Newham says Cele has an opportunity to restore his name.
"He has an opportunity now to redeem himself based on the adverse findings of the Public Protector's report and the board of inquiry. Hopefully he had time to reflect on the findings of those to investigations."
Cele is known for his controversial policies, among others "shoot to kill".
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"I am sure after Marikana that Cele would be very keen to avoid any such large scale loss of life on the part of civilians at the hands of police going forward," believes Newham.
The South African Police Union's (SAPU) president Mpho Kwinika is cautionaly optimistic about his appointment.
"It is a good appointment though we have had previous issues with him when he was still manning the police as a General. We have indicated that he's strength is operationally and weakness is administratively."