The long-standing existing quarrel between Police Minister Bheki Cele and national commissioner, General Khehla Sitole reached an untenable point earlier this week when the former in his SONA debate speech accused the latter of hatching a plot with EFF leader Julius Malema to have him fired from cabinet.
Although Cele has since doubled down on those allegations following an intervention by deputy speaker of the National Assembly Tsenoli, the damage had been done, there appeared luminous signs that the top brass of the police in the country had a breakdown of relations, which poses plenty of unanswerable questions to broader society.
The tensions arose at a time both Cele and Sitole are facing deafening calls to be removed from their respective positions, this is in the wake of a security report which indicated that the security cluster failed to provide leadership during July 2021 mayhem which almost brought the country on its knees.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa who addressed the media after his session in parliament wherein he was responding to the debate, has intimated on willingness to act against both Cele and Sitole.
Although he did not illuminate details on what exactly he would do, one is entirely convinced that, for political reasons, he might not fire Cele whom it is believed to wield an immense amount of power in certain branches in KwaZulu Natal.
Consequently, Ramaphosa is expected to seek re-election at the 55th national elective conference later this year, and ordinarily, he would not want to disappoint KZN branches that support Cele.
In any way, the president is well aware of the fact that he does not enjoy a great deal of support in the province, hence he would try his level best to ensure relations remain intact.
As for Sitole, the axe has been almost on his neck for some time following rumours that he attempted to use the police intelligence resources to infiltrate the CR faction to influence the outcome of the 2017 ANC conference in favour of the RET brigade.
Do you think by promising to act, Ramaphosa would fire Minister Bheki Cele from the cabinet altogether or he might be redeployed to another portfolio?