Riot Hlatswayo

It was business as usual for national commissioner of police General Bheki Cele on Monday as he preoccupied himself with his duties,  despite President Jacob Zuma announcing his suspension.

Cele went about his duties in Mpumalanga's Matsulu area, where members of the community came out in large numbers to catch a glimpse of him.

His visit was part of a rollout of the province's pre-festive season operations aimed at curbing a rise in crime during this time of the year.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thulani Ntobela got a special mention by Cele, who said in an adress of thousands of dignitaries and members of the community that the province's police department had made the South African Police Service (SAPS) proud.

Referring to the achievements of the province, Cele said it was the best performer in terms of crime reduction, despite having had a bad image attributed to, among others, a case of 15 police officers that we arrested for stealing pigs.

The rest of his day involved a walkabout in one of the nearby communities, as well as talking to children in a nearby creche before taking partt in a massive roadblock at the Nkomazi Toll Plaza.

Major General Nhlanhla Mkwhanazi will replace Cele in the interim while an investigation is carried out into the controversial police lease deal.