National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole's Last Day In Office After 35 Years of Service in SAPS

• National Police Commissioner Khela Sitole will be retiring on 31 March after 35 years of working in the police service
• Sitole is not a stranger to controversy and was found guilty of putting the interest ANC above South Africa's
• Despite being a controversial figure, Sitole says he is proud of all he has accomplished while he was the national commissioner

JOHANNESBURG - Today, 31 March, will be National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole's last day in office as he hangs up his hat as per President Cyril Ramaphosa's request.

Sitole will be retiring from his position after serving the South African Police Service for 35 years, leaving the top cop post empty until a new commissioner is appointed.

However, the top cop has had some issues with the law while occupying his post as the national commissioner. According to the Daily Maverick, in January 2021, the Gauteng High Court ruled that Sitole and his two deputies Lebeoana Tsumane and Francinah Vuma abused their positions by putting the interests of the African National Congress above the nations.

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The ruling was handed down in relation to Sitole's three-year attempt to block IPID from investigating the attempt to procure a "grabber" for R45 million for the ANC's Nasrec conference in 2017.

The "grabber" was not procured because Sitole was later tip-off that IPID was about to conduct an investigation into the matter.

According to SABC News, Sitole will be leaving his position seven months before his contract expires. He has laid the blame on his colleagues in SAPS for his tainted reputation in the media and says they leaked information about him.

He also stated that the former IPID head Robert McBride had his eyes set on Sitole's top cop position and was not shocked to learn that he was one leading the probe into his misconduct.

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Despite his controversial tenure, Sitole says he is proud of the work he has done in the police service.

EFF says President Cyril Ramphosa's decision to fire Khehla Sitole exposes ANC's factional failures: "Misfire"

Briefly News previously reported that while some political parties have welcomed the move by President Cyril Ramaphosa to terminate national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole's employment contract, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is slamming the decision.

Ramaphosa fired Sitole on Friday following a "mutually agreed decision that was in the country's best interest." In a statement released by the Presidency, Ramaphosa noted that Sitole would vacate the South African Police Service (SAPS)'s highest office on 31 March.

Political parties have been vocal over the move, not least of which has been the EFF, which described Sitole's dismissal as encompassing the hallmarks of the well-documented factional battles within the African National Congress (ANC), SABC News reported.

Source: Briefly News