Parliament - Restored head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Robert McBride says systemic corruption in the SAPS will be his top priority now that he’s back in the saddle.
Last week, the National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charges against McBride relating to his alleged altering of an Ipid report on the rendition of several Zimbabweans - supposedly in order to protect former Hawks head Anwa Dramat and his Gauteng counterpart, Shadrack Sibiya.
On Wednesday, McBride made his first appearance before Parliament’s police oversight committee since his suspension more than a year ago by Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, after the Constitutional Court set aside his suspension and Parliament declined the minister’s request to subject McBride to a misconduct inquiry.
McBride said after the meeting he had always been adamant there was no case for him to answer to and that the dropping of the charges vindicated this view.
“The issue is, did our democracy work? Where there have been failures in one arm of governance, another arm will assist,” McBride said.
“In our case, it was the courts, so the democracy works, and that’s why the different elements of democracy are in place, to ensure the checks and balances are kept and there isn’t abuse of power.”
His most pressing concern now was Ipid’s ability to take on complex systemic corruption problems.
“Because if we are able to deal with systemic corruption within the SAPS, it sends a message, as most systemic corruption is carried out by senior members, and if we’re able to effectively deal with that and eventually get prosecutions, it will send a message to the lower ranks.
“And you’ll have a trickle- down effect of an improvement in ethics and integrity,” McBride pointed out.
But he wouldn’t be drawn on specific investigations, saying only that there was “no glass ceiling or otherwise” on how far up his investigations could go.
“I must go without fear, favour or prejudice to wherever the investigation takes me,” McBride said.
Political Bureau