Former deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Francinah Vuma has detailed alleged victimisation and attempts on her life after protected disclosures she made during her tenure.
Appearing before parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday, Vuma testified as part of investigations into alleged corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
Vuma was appointed as deputy national police commissioner in 2017. Her career was sidelined in 2022 when she was suspended by national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola. That suspension remained in place until her retirement in January.
The official grounds for her suspension involved allegations that she, alongside former national commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole and another official, breached the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Act by withholding information from investigators. At the time, Vuma’s primary responsibility was investigating senior-ranking officials.
Vuma told the committee a protected disclosure is a legal mechanism used when an official encounters challenges or harassment while conducting investigations. It is intended to protect whistleblowers from “occupational detriment”.
“I had to make protected disclosures in July 2022 because of a number of things I observed happening to me,” Vuma testified.
She highlighted a specific instance where, after briefing Masemola on pending investigations, he allegedly asked why she would not simply drop the cases. “I explained that I needed to investigate them,” she said.
Her disclosures covered a wide range of matters, including:
- 2010 Fifa World Cup accommodation procurement irregularities;
- coercion to procure PPE from specific suppliers;
- the “grabber” investigation and the RT15 contract;
- illegal instructions from the CFO; and
- documented threats against her life.
Despite escalating these disclosures to the president, the portfolio committee on police, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, and Ipid, Vuma claims she never received a response.
Instead, she faced immediate retaliation.
“I was victimised by a number of cases against me that were never concluded. I was never given the opportunity to return to work,” she said.
Vuma’s first disclosure dated back to her appointment as deputy national commissioner for asset and legal management. She had requested briefings on the controversial Telkom Towers purchase — a building acquired by the department of public works in 2015/2016 to serve as SAPS headquarters.
The project has been plagued by mismanagement. Vuma noted a huge duplication of costs: while the purchased building sat empty, SAPS continued to spend millions leasing other office spaces. Furthermore, despite the building being unfinished, SAPS occupied it prematurely, leading to requests for an additional R1.6bn from public works to make the site functional.
When Vuma recommended that the Hawks investigate the matter, she began receiving threatening phone calls.
Vuma also detailed an unusual incident in March 2022 involving former police minister Bheki Cele. She alleged that leadership from the South African Policing Union “fetched” her on Cele’s instructions and took her to his private residence. There, Cele reportedly questioned her regarding disciplinary decisions she had made against a senior official.
She said it was not the first time Cele asked her to visit his home for a meeting, but “this one worried me; that’s why I decided to record the conversation”.
The testimony took a darker turn when Vuma described attempts on her life.
“During 2021, there were incidents around my house. My children would call to tell me there were strange cars outside,” she said. She claimed that after an attempt to frame her for PPE irregularities failed, “they decided to appoint a hitman”.
In one of her claims, Vuma alleged Masemola pressured her to alter an investigation report. Specifically, he allegedly asked her to remove a paragraph stating that an investigation instruction had come from Cele.
According to Vuma, Masemola told her to be “careful” of deputy police minister Cassel Mathale, claiming Mathale wanted to “swindle funds to fund the EFF”.
“He wanted me to say the instruction never came from Cele; he wanted it to look like it came from Mathale,” Vuma testified. When she refused to comply, Masemola allegedly warned her that her “stubbornness” would cost her her career.
“Shortly after, Masemola told me he was under pressure to suspend me.” Her office was raided immediately after her suspension.
The hearings continue.
TimesLIVE
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