McBride’s ANC connection might cost him

01 Interview with Robert Mc Bride former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Chief. Picture: Antoine de Ras .09/06/2011

01 Interview with Robert Mc Bride former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Chief. Picture: Antoine de Ras .09/06/2011

Published Nov 14, 2013

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Durban - Robert McBride should be disqualified from being the leading candidate to head the Independent Policing Investigative Directorate (Ipid) because he is a “loyal ANC cadre” - and, as such, is not a “suitable person”.

This is according to the Institute for Accountability’s Paul Hoffman, who was commenting after the police ministry announced on Tuesday that minister Nathi Mthethwa had nominated McBride to be the head of the police watchdog.

McBride, who was fired as Ekhuruleni Metro police chief in 2008, was acquitted of drunk-driving and defeating the course of justice earlier this year after he appealed against his conviction.

The Ipid Act does not stipulate the requirements of the post and only says that the police minister has to nominate a “suitably qualified” person.

Hoffman said that the Constitutional Court had ruled that any anti-corruption crime-fighting body had to be independent from political influence.

“He (McBride) is known as being loyal to the ANC and it would be difficult for him to act independently when issues arise. There would be a conflict of interest between his loyalty to the ANC and the requirements of the post.”

He said that the Independent Policing Investigative Directorate was dealing with crucial cases, including investigations against Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer and national police commissioner Riah Phiyega, which required strong leadership.

The DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard said on Wednesday that the party had made a Promotion of Access to Information Act application to gain access to all documentation pertaining to McBride’s nomination.

“It is necessary that we know who the other candidates for this position were, and what their qualifications are.”

She said that a legal qualification had been part of the job requirements when Francois Beukman was appointed as the head of the then Independent Complaints Directorate, but this had since been removed.

“The crucial legal qualification necessary for the executive director of the independent police was excised from the job advertisement and the obvious conclusion is that it was thus tailor-made for McBride, who has no legal qualification,” she said.

The advert for the job states that the applicant must have a “recognised post-graduate degree or equivalent qualifications, strong management and leadership skills”.

The advert also said that the applicant required a sound knowledge of the SAPS and municipal police units.

“The applicant must be able to work with honesty and integrity, and act without fear of favour,” it said.

Independent crime researcher David Bruce said that if appointed, McBride would discredit the reputation and public standing of the directorate.

“One of the specific concerns is that he was accused of defeating the course of justice while he was in a position of leadership.

“While the conviction was set aside, it seems that against this background his appointment would be particularly inappropriate,” he said.

Bruce said that a key role of the Independent Policing Investigative Directorate was to “create public trust” in its work as an oversight body and the appointment of McBride would be “counter-productive” to this aim.

Mthethwa’s spokesman, Zweli Mnisi, declined to respond to questions sent by The Mercury on Wednesday. He said that he would not comment on the process until Parliament pronounced on the nomination next year.

The Mercury

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