Retired Lieutenant-General Francinah Vuma Alleges Former Police Minister Cele Orchestrated False Charges and Assassination Plot

Retired General Francinah Vuma tells Parliament that former minister Bheki Cele plotted to frame her and attempted to have her killed over PPE tender disputes.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 11:33 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from IOL

Allegations of Targeted Political Persecution

Retired Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Francinah Vuma has delivered explosive testimony before a parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee, implicateing former police minister Bheki Cele in a targeted campaign of intimidation. Vuma asserted that Cele, working in tandem with former lieutenant-general Bonang Ngwenya, sought to frame her for non-existent corruption regarding Personal Protective Equipment procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Vuma, the primary motivation for this hostility was her categorical refusal to approve a list of preferred companies that did not align with National Treasury's official transversal contracts.

Pressure to Violate National Treasury Protocols

The retired general described a high-pressure environment during the state of disaster in early 2020, where the demand for PPE led to intense lobbying for lucrative state contracts. Vuma testified that while the National Treasury provided a centralized and lawful mechanism for these purchases, she was pressured by Ngwenya to award tenders to specific entities linked to the then-minister. When she insisted on adhering to due process, she claimed Cele berated her and other officials for failing to implement his personal instructions, leading to the alleged fabrication of criminal charges against her.

Escalation to Violent Intimidation and Death Threats

As the attempts to legally implicate her faltered, Vuma alleged that the campaign shifted from reputational destruction to physical threats against her life. She informed members of parliament that a brigadier had warned her about a meeting where her assassination was discussed, prompting then-national commissioner Khehla Sitole to organize a threat assessment and provide temporary protection. Despite these warnings, Vuma stated she did not initially lay criminal charges, choosing instead to rely on internal police protection as the administrative conflict within the South African Police Service deepened.