By Johnathan Paoli
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola on Tuesday rejected allegations by former Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Francinah Vuma that he targeted her, interfered in investigations, and acted with improper political or personal motives.
Appearing before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, Masemola said that disciplinary action against Vuma stemmed from legal findings, not retaliation.
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Last week, Vuma testified that after making protected disclosures to authorities, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, she was “victimised” through a prolonged suspension, faced threats to her life and was subjected to retaliation for refusing to carry out “unlawful instructions”.
“I don’t know what ‘target’ means. I never target people,” Masemola said, responding to questions from MPs.
He said Vuma’s claims that he pressured her to abandon investigations into senior officials and interfered in sensitive probes were unfounded.
He pointed instead to a series of court rulings against Vuma and others over their handling of matters involving the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
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“All the courts, up to the Constitutional Court, ruled against them,” he said.
He also rejected Vuma’s claims that he instructed her to drop investigations or alter reports, saying she had not been responsible for several of the matters she alleged to be investigating.
“She is a super investigator. She was not investigating these things,” Masemola said.
Masemola further denied claims that he warned Vuma about political figures, including allegations that he told her not to trust deputy police minister Cassel Mathale or that he suggested political interference linked to the EFF.
He also denied telling Vuma that her “stubbornness” would cost her her career, another allegation contained in her testimony.
On claims that he authorised or participated in a raid on Vuma’s office after her suspension, Masemola said that was not the case. Instead, he said, an internal incident involving the destruction of documents had triggered concern.
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“We found a sergeant in her office shredding documents dating back to [former national police commissioner] Khehla Sitole’s time,” he said.
Masemola was equally firm in rejecting procurement-related allegations, particularly claims of irregularities involving purchases of Crime Intelligence (CI) properties.
“Take it from me, I can cleanly say there are no procurement irregularities in those properties,” he said.
Responding to separate allegations made by private forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, about looting of the CI secret services account, Masemola said he could not speculate on the source or motive behind the claims, but insisted the funds were subject to oversight.
“The CI slush fund is well-audited,” he said.
He also dismissed claims of interference by former police minister Bheki Cele, rejecting suggestions that Cele continued to influence police operations.
“I don’t know what ‘ruling from the grave’ means. Minister Cele is not interfering. He is not involved in police matters now,” Masemola said.
Addressing a separate allegation that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s 6 July 2025 media briefing – which led to the formation of the ad hoc committee and the establishment of the Madlanga Commission — was intended to prevent his arrest, Masemola said he had no knowledge of any such threat.
“On [my alleged] arrest, I wouldn’t know. There are quite a lot of people who peddle information,” he said.
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Masemola also rejected claims that corruption within the police was as pervasive as some had suggested, specifically pushing back against an assertion that 90% of officers in Gauteng were compromised.
“It is a bit exaggerated. How do you arrive at that figure?” he said.
The committee continues.