Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to be briefed about damning allegations that deputy police commissioner Lieutenant-General Francinah Vuma has made against her boss, police commissioner General Sehlare Fannie Masemola, and their political boss, Minister Bheki Cele.
In a protected disclosures letter, Vuma accused Masemola of instituting an unjustified suspension against her on behalf of Cele, saying Masemola was driving a corrupt agenda involving a number of “unlawful instructions” she was refusing to execute due to professional ethics and conscience.
“As you would know, the Act declares that employees making protected disclosures like myself should not be subjected to the occupational detriment by the employer, or partly on account of having a protected disclosure,” she said.
Vuma said this was not the first protected disclosures letter she was making: “I have made a couple of disclosures to the former national commissioner and other members of the investigative arms of the government relating to various matters.
“I have become a target for various reasons, the latest being the attempt to suspend or transfer me due to pressure from the top, and to have me disciplined and potentially removed from the SAPS.” Vuma told Ramaphosa she feared for her life.
“I am both scared for my life and livelihood, both are being threatened because I have taken it upon myself not to be influenced in my decisions and to stand on principle. I have communicated these issues with various people, including the State Security Agency, who at some point were of the view that my life is in danger.”
And, she said, the written disclosure was her last resort. Vuma, who is responsible for assets and legal, said she had 34 years in the SAPS, and among the allegations she made against Masemola is that on June 30, 2022, Masemola told her he was under pressure from internal and external persons to suspend her.
In July Masemola served her with a written notice to suspend or temporarily transfer her, giving her three days to respond.
However, she said she refused due to limited time and requested to be given until July after seeking advice from her legal representatives.
Masemola, Vuma added, did not budge.
“I believe that Masemola’s relentless, hasty pursuit to suspend me is nothing but an attempt at getting his hands on the safe,” she said.
In June she was also invited by the National Prosecuting Authority to furnish them with documents related to the procurement of accommodation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, an investigation involving then national police commissioner Cele and others.
Vuma said the subpoenas “required me to provide documents before June 20,” failing which she would have had to appear before a court by June 24 to explain her lack of co-operating.
“My initial attempt to locate the required documents was stonewalled, so I wrote to the national head of the Hawks and informed him of the investigation. Vuma said she requested his assistance in locating the required evidence, eventually managing to gather useful evidence and submitting all relevant copies to the NPA.“
“I remain a co-operating and competent witness,” she said.
Vuma further alleged unlawful procurement of Covid-19 PPE by her superiors, saying a high-ranking officer interrupted her during a meeting to point her towards specific companies allegedly hand-picked by Cele.
“I was later called with (a senior colleague) to a meeting with the minister, where we were berated by the minister for ‘not wanting to buy from companies that were given (to me)’.
“This happened in the presence of colleagues.”
She “stood her ground and said they would not be coerced to act unlawfully”, and reported Cele. She then requested protected disclosure, which was done.
She would be later called before the Independent Police Investigative Directorate and “attacked”, she alleged, and, Cele also “berated” her for removing a major-general who was appointed as chief audit executive when she was not adequately qualified for the job.
Hence the threats against her life, some which came from another senior colleague, who was eventually dismissed for it. Threats also came from unknown numbers and strange lingering around her house, leading to a threat assessment conducted by crime intelligence, she said in her letter.
Vuma alleged that Cele was involved in a R120 million purchase of interception equipment without the required certificate from the Departments of State Security and Justice.
“As a result of this, the interception equipment that they purchased remained unutilised and wasted. I have instituted fruitless and wasteful expenditure investigations against all involved. This has seen me getting more threats and calls about this matter. I informed the former national commissioner as well and steps were being taken to ensure that I was safe,” said Vuma.
The deputy commissioner said she was also investigating other contracts that were unlawfully entered into.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told the Pretoria News that the matter had not yet been internally brought to the attention of the president. State security spokesperson Mava Scott was unavailable for comment.
Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa did not respond to text messages sent to him.
Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba also did not respond to text messages sent to her.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said: “The Hawks has asked for clarity in respect of the two areas where it is cited. No specific action has been requested exclusively from the Hawks.”
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said: “Kindly note that the correspondence referred to was not addressed to the media and as such the SAPS is not at liberty to discuss the contents thereof with the media.
“We have received a complaint from the Dep Commissioner as per your enquiry and will respond to her during the course of this week,” said IPID spokesperson Lizzy Shuping.
Pretoria News