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A much-anticipated briefing by police chief General Bheki Cele on the Public Protector's findings about his role in two controversial building leases was postponed on Monday, just hours after it was announced.

Brigadier Sally De Beer announced the briefing in a statement issued shortly after noon on Monday, but on Monday night Superintendent Vish Naidoo said it was being postponed "due to unforeseen circumstances".

It would be held on Thursday, instead of Tuesday, at a time and a venue yet to be announced, he said.

Last week, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report titled "Against the Rules Too" on the lease of the Transnet Building to the police by property tycoon Roux Shabangu for more than three

times the going rate.

She said Cele's actions were unlawful, improper and constituted maladministration.

On Thursday, Madonsela said that while Cele himself did not sign the leases, he authorised the department of public works to proceed with them in his capacity as chief accounting officer.

Madonsela said the Durban lease would have been worth R1.16 billion over 10 years. That of the Middestad Building in Pretoria was worth R604 million over the same period.

She said the market value of the Transnet building meant it should have been leased at R40 a square metre and not the R125.30 a square metre ultimately agreed on.

Madonsela released a report on the leasing of the Middestad Building, in Pretoria, in February.

In that report she found that Cele's actions were also improper, unlawful and amounted to maladministration.

She recommended that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa take disciplinary action against police officials mentioned in the report.

She also recommended that President Jacob Zuma act against public works minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde for failing to co-operate with the probe into the two leases.

It is not yet known when Mahlangu-Nkabinde will respond. On Friday her office said she was mourning the death of her brother and intended commenting at a later stage.

Source: Sapa