Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj would today say only that the president would make his decision about Cele public when he was “ready” to do so.

But City Press has learned from three independent well-placed sources that Zuma decided yesterday to fire Cele after considering the report produced by a board of inquiry which was set up to assess Cele’s fitness for office.

The board recommended in its report to Zuma that Cele should be fired.

Maharaj said: “When the president is ready he will make his decision public and we will release a statement.”

Cele was suspended in October last year amid massive controversy over two lucrative lease deals, one for police headquarters in Pretoria and another in Durban.

The leases, worth more than R1.6 billion, were awarded by the department of public works to property mogul Roux Shabangu in 2010.

The board of inquiry found that Cele lacked the capacity to execute his official duties efficiently and was not fit to hold office.

Cele’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mkhize, could not be reached for comment.