By Johnathan Paoli
Former Deputy National Commissioner for Support Services Lieutenant General Francinah Vuma has told Parliament that political and executive interference repeatedly obstructed sensitive investigations, disciplinary processes and major procurement decisions within the police service, undermining the integrity of South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Appearing before an ad-hoc parliamentary committee on Wednesday, Vuma said her experience at the highest levels of SAPS revealed “a pattern of interference” that derailed accountability efforts and shielded senior officials from consequence.
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“My testimony reveals a pattern of political and executive interference in police investigations, disciplinary processes, and procurement matters that I believe undermined the integrity of South Africa’s criminal justice system,” she said.
Under questioning from evidence leader Advocate Bongiwe Mkhize, Vuma testified that she had been mandated by former national commissioner Khehla John Sitole to pursue investigations into senior officials implicated in wrongdoing.
“I was tasked by the former national commissioner to conduct a number of investigations against mostly senior officials who were suspected of wrongdoing. As those audits get conducted, there will be irregularities that have been identified… and I issued mandates for forensic investigations.”
Resistance intensified, she said, after current national commissioner Fannie Masemola assumed office in April 2022.
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Vuma said she formally briefed him on pending high-profile disciplinary and litigation matters involving lieutenant generals facing processes at the bargaining council and Labour Court.
“He responded to me that, ‘Are you still busy with those cases? Why are you not dropping these things and leave them?’.I explained the importance of them and why they needed to be finalised,” Vuma testified.
Believing she was being sidelined for pursuing sensitive matters, Vuma filed protected disclosures in July 2022 to multiple authorities, including the Presidency, parliamentary oversight structures and law-enforcement bodies.
The disclosures, she said, were meant to protect her from retaliation.
“As you would know, the Act declares that employees making protected disclosures like myself should not be subjected to occupational detriment by the employer, wholly or partly on account of having made a protected disclosure,” she wrote at the time.
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“I have made a couple of disclosures to the former national commissioner and other members of the government’s investigative arms 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 SAPS,” she added.
One of the central cases she cited involved the controversial Telkom Towers property in Pretoria.
Vuma said she was briefed that although the building had been purchased in 2015 for hundreds of millions of rand, SAPS continued leasing alternative office space while large portions of the complex remained unusable.
She testified that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure repeatedly requested additional funding despite earlier agreements to complete renovations within its own budget.
“These monies went up to 1.6 billion. Public Works kept on requesting more money even after they utilised R10 million to repair that building, they still said the building is not ready,” Vuma said.
She compiled a report recommending the matter be referred to the Hawks, saying the recommendation was initially supported by both the national commissioner and then police minister Bheki Cele.
But she said the minister later appeared to reverse course.
“Something strange happened when the file was received back. The minister wrote a comment that the national commissioner must see to finish how he handles that matter,” she testified.
Soon after, threats followed.
“I started to receive some threatening telephone calls saying to me, I must stop that nonsense,” she said.
Vuma said interference also extended to emergency procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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She described pressure to procure personal protective equipment from suppliers allegedly linked to the minister, especially from Cele, however Vuma refused.
“I told the Minister that we will not be coerced to purchase PPEs just because we wanted PPEs. There are processes that needed to be adhered,” she said.
She and a colleague were later summoned.
“The Minister was very angry with us, shouting at us and saying we don’t want to buy PPE. We explained what had been done,” she said.
Vuma further testified that political figures involved themselves in operational disciplinary matters, including cases against senior officers such as former Criminal Intelligence head Lieutenant General Peter Jacobs.
Masemola, she added, warned her that resisting directives would carry consequences.
Beyond institutional pressure, Vuma described escalating threats to her safety.
“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,” she said.
Despite multiple disclosures, she said little action followed.
The committee adjourned with proceedings continuing after lunch.
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