Cape Town -
An application has been made for the public to see how controversial Robert McBride was selected to become the next head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
This came after allegations that a key requirement for the job – a legal background – was deliberately left off the job description to “tailor-make” the position for McBride.
On Thursday, the DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard said she had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application requesting a list of all advertisements placed, the short-listed candidates and their full CVs, the criteria they used to select McBride, and full minutes of the meetings discussing these processes.
“Ipid is a civilian oversight body. Whether one is qualified or not as a policeperson has nothing to do with this job at all,” Kohler Barnard told the Cape Argus. “Ipid’s central function is dealing with SAPS members who break the law – who rape, rob and murder civilians. So this person in this position, the executive director, must have a legal background, there’s no question in my mind.”
Kohler Barnard said there had to be full transparency about McBride’s selection.
“Why would this ever be considered a secret?” she asked. “It is highly doubtful, considering McBride’s scandal-ridden past, that he would have been the best candidate for the post following a rigorous interview process.”
The DA’s Paia application asks for the criteria list for the post of Ipid executive director and a detailed brief as to why McBride was considered the best candidate.
Francois Beukman, the former head of Ipid who resigned last year and who is now running a law firm in Cape Town, did not want to comment.
On Tuesday, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed that the cabinet had nominated McBride and it was now up to Parliament’s portfolio committee on police to approve or reject the nomination.
The committee confirmed McBride would formally be introduced as the recommended candidate at its meeting on January 28, which is within the statutory time frame of up to “30 parliamentary working days” to confirm or reject the recommended appointment.
Zweli Mnisi, spokesman for the Ministry of Police, said the ministry would not debate the DA in the public arena over McBride’s nomination as the matter needed to be confirmed by the portfolio committee.
Cape Argus