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Suspended deputy police commissioner Francinah Vuma has been told that she may not return to work, pending a review of her suspension.
Vuma was supposed to return to work following a ruling that found that the SA Police Service had lost its right to discipline her for refusing to enable the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption. This related to the controversial deal to purchase spying equipment for the police at an exorbitant price.
State attorney Vishal Ramruch told Vuma through her lawyers that the SA Police Service (SAPS) intended appealing the ruling permitting her to return to work.
READ: Too late to discipline suspended top cop Francinah Vuma, arbitration finds
“The rules provide for several avenues through which the SAPS is entitled to challenge the ruling. Our client intends to exercise its rights in terms of the Labour Relations Act and/or the rules and will serve the requisite papers on you in due course. In the circumstances, the dispute that forms the subject matter of the ruling has not been finally resolved. Your client’s precautionary suspension accordingly remains in place until such time as the matter has finally been resolved. Your client is therefore reminded that she is not to report for duty at this stage,” wrote Ramruch to the lawyers.
His letter followed Vuma’s lawyers’ letter, which said that she would return to work, as there was nothing to prevent her from doing so.
Last month, City Press reported that, according to police sources, Vuma had met with Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and head of legal Simo Chamane to discuss the outcomes of the arbitration process, as she wanted to report back for duty.
However, Masemola told her not to set foot in any police building, as he was still studying the arbitration ruling. In a ruling delivered last month by Safety & Security Sectoral Bargaining Council arbitrator Johnny Mathebula, the SAPS had waived its right to discipline Vuma and was “accordingly precluded from disciplining” her.
READ: Cops at war : I will return to work, says Vuma after arbitration ruling in her favour
Vuma was suspended in July last year, following a Pretoria High Court ruling that she; former national police commissioner Khehla Sitole and his deputy, Jacob Tsumane, had “breached their duties” by not handing over or declassifying documents for Ipid to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption.
Vuma approached the bargaining council, requesting it to make a finding on her dispute with her employer over misconduct allegations emanating from the arbitration ruling.
