End of line for Bheki Cele?

The fate of national police commissioner Bheki Cele hangs in the balance as speculation mounts about the possibility of him being shunted off as an ambassador.

Fuelled by Cele's cancellation this week of two press conferences at which he was to respond to scathing reports about his involvement in the R1.78-billion police leasing deals, sources with knowledge of discussions about his future yesterday confirmed that "it's a matter of time" before an announcement about his "redeployment" to Japan was made.

Though President Jacob Zuma and Cele's office have denied that such a move is being considered, several sources in the police, and senior government officials, said that his removal as the country's top cop was "imminent".

Presidency spokesman Zanele Mngadi said yesterday that the talk about the ousting of Cele was a "mischievous rumour". She denied that Zuma had met Cele this week to discuss his future.

"There is no truth in the rumour, it is a total fabrication," said Mngadi. "The President has never discussed a diplomatic posting to Japan or anywhere else with General Cele. Those spreading such a rumour are being mischievous."

But several sources close to the discussions say Cele's expected removal from Wachthuis police HQ was being kept under wraps only until some technicalities had been ironed out.

"He has definitely been offered a diplomatic posting to make things easier for everyone, but he wants to clear his name first," said one insider.

The sources say the final nail in t Cele's coffin after his two years at the helm of the police was the scathing finding of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, revealed in her second report on her police lease deals investigation, released last Thursday.

Cele emerged in the report as a central figure in the attempts by the police to lease - at massively inflated rentals - buildings from politically connected property mogul Roux Shabangu. The buildings would have accommodated the police's national and KwaZulu-Natal headquarters staffs.

Madonsela found that both Cele and Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde had acted "improperly" and "unlawfully", and that the leasing deals were illegal and invalid.

"He [Cele] was to have been dealt with last week but they expected the Public Protector to be more explicit in her instructions to the president," said one source.

Cele was scheduled to convene a press conference on Tuesday to respond to Madonsela's report, but postponed it late on Monday night to yesterday.

But yesterday's conference was also cancelled, without any explanation, raising further questions.

When asked about the first postponement, national police spokesman Sally de Beer said: "Another unscheduled meeting came up that was urgent and important.''

De Beer said she had not been given an explanation for the cancellation of yesterday's press conference.

Cele's spokesman, Nonkululeko Mbatha, could not be reached yesterday and did not respond to text messages, but The Times has learned that the press briefing was cancelled after government spin doctor Jimmy Manyi stepped in. Manyi wanted "the government to align its message to the matter".

Though Madonsela was more highly critical of Mahlangu-Nkabinde in her second report - she called on Zuma to take harsh action against her - Cele was the major focus of the first report into the Pretoria police HQ lease.

Pressure on Zuma to fire Cele has been mounting since Madonsela released her first report, in February, with opposition parties and civil society calling for his head.

Referring to Madonsela's second report, a source said: "They expected her to tell the president to fire him. But instead she gave the instruction to Nathi [Mthethwa] and asked the president to deal with Mahlangu-Nkabinde, which he did not expect."

Madonsela recommended that Mthethwa, with the assistance of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, take "urgent steps to ensure appropriate action" against Cele and all police officials who broke the law.

In her report, Madonsela said: "Due to the fact that the procurement [leasing] was not cost-effective, it resulted in a significant potential monetary loss to the state and prejudice to South African taxpayers."

The current South African ambassador to Japan, Gert Grobler, who is on holiday in South Africa, refused to comment.

Grobler has served in the position for two-and-a half years.

Ambassadors are usually deployed for four years but can be reassigned at any time. Grobler returns to Tokyo on Saturday.

Institute of Accountability in Southern Africa director Paul Hoffman, who together with the FF+'s Pieter Groenwald asked Madonsela to investigate the lease deals, yesterday said a Cele diplomatic appointment would be a "disaster".

"It is unfortunate if [he were to be] awarded with an ambassadorship rather than being consigned to oblivion," said Hoffman.

Hoffman said he expected Cele to explain why he was prepared to waste taxpayers' money to acquire the buildings at three times the going rate.

Madonsela said last week that she would support litigation by Hoffman or Groenewald.

Hoffman said yesterday that he would wait until the report was tabled before deciding whether or not to launch legal action.

The cabinet must consider the Public Protector's report within 60 days.