Ad Hoc Committee hears of Vuma’s early retirement offer

Former Deputy National Police Commissioner for Support Services, Francinah Vuma, has told Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee that she was offered an early retirement deal, on condition that she remained silent about her disputes with National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.

Under questioning from the committee’s evidence leader, Advocate Bongiwe Mkhize, Vuma says the proposal included financial incentives and a non-disclosure agreement, which she refused to sign.

She says she wanted the opportunity to clear her name.

“An offer was made to me that I must accept to retire early on condition that they will pay me beyond my retirement period. Then they will withdraw all these allegations that they have leveled against me. And in that offer, I was supposed to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which I refused because my determination was to clear my name.

Adv. Mkhize: So, you refused the offer?

Vuma: I refused the offer, yes.

VIDEO | Francinah Vuma testifies before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCUNKHwjzdc

Vuma has also suggested that tensions between herself and former Police Minister Bheki Cele may date back years, possibly to the time when Cele served as national police commissioner.

Vuma told MPs that she believes that the long-standing animosity may have influenced the treatment she later received at the South African Police Service.

She also argued that the powers of the National Commissioner may require stronger oversight.

“Maybe I was ignorant. I didn’t realise that from that time up until when the minister was a minister, he did not take kindly of the fact that maybe I was exposed to certain things that were being done at Crime Intelligence, et cetera, et cetera. I don’t know. But I felt that it means this animosity or whatever it is had always been with him in regards to me, hence I received this particular treatment.”