National police commissioner Khehla Sitole has rubbished claims he plotted with EFF leader Julius Malema to remove police minister Bheki Cele.

On Monday, Cele accused Sitole and Malema of plotting to remove him on December 10 2020 in a meeting.

Responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address, Cele, who took the podium, said: “There was a meeting between yourself (Malema) and the national commissioner... the plan and the plot was hashed that I must be changed.”

In a statement, national police spokesperson brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said Sitole was shocked and dismayed at the allegations by Cele, confirming the commissioner met with the EFF on the said date.

Naidoo said the meeting was initiated by the ministry of police to address potential threats made against Malema.

“Mr Malema met with the National Commissioner and the head of protection and security services, lieutenant general Sam Shitlabane in 2020 at the Tshwane Training Academy.

“The meeting was solely about the alleged threats against Mr Malema and nothing else to which feedback was provided to the deputy minister.

“The National Commissioner was under the impression that the minister was aware about the content of that meeting given that it was facilitated by his deputy,” Naidoo said.

Naidoo said Sitole was amazed by the fact that his name and image were being tarnished for political reasons.

“He decided to issue this statement of clarity since his name is mentioned in parliament and it’s important for such an institution to know and understand the facts,” Naidoo said.

Tensions between Cele and Sitole were raised in the in the Expert Panel report on the July 2021 unrest released by the presidency a week ago.

The report found there was no co-ordination between Cele and Sitole causing at times confusion as to who members of the SA Police Service should respond to or take instructions from.

This, the three member panel, attributed to the dismal response seen by members authorities in July that left more than 300 people dead.

On Cele and Sitole, the panel wrote: “Accordingly, they fail to communicate effectively on other important matters.”

Continuing, the report wrote: “It does not seem altogether clear what the relationship (in law) is between the National Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Police. The opaqueness of this relationship may, in our assessment, have led to the seeming breakdown of communication between the two offices before and during the July unrest.”

The report was also scathing of president Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet stating that communications lines between the executive authorities and security services were blurred.

“Dysfunctional relationships between ministers and their senior leadership teams in the departments in some cases impeded synergy in the flow of intelligence which affected decision-making,” noted the report.