Parliament to debate McBride disciplinary matter

18 October 2016

Cape Town - Parliament’s police committee will decide on Tuesday whether to start disciplinary procedures against Independent Police Investigative Directorate head Robert McBride.

On September 6, the Constitutional Court declared Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s decision to suspend McBride invalid. However, the order was suspended for 30 days in order for the National Assembly and Nhleko to exercise their powers.

The 30-day suspension expires on Tuesday.

If the committee did not initiate disciplinary proceedings against McBride by Tuesday, his suspension would lapse automatically. He would then be entitled to return to work “amid serious allegations of misconduct against him”, Nhleko wrote in a letter to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete.

She referred the matter to the committee for it to deliberate the issue.

Committee chairperson Francois Beukman said the committee was obliged to deal with matters that were referred to them.

“It is important that the committee ensures that the relevant matter is properly addressed in line with the oversight role of the committee and the ruling made by the Constitutional Court.”

In his letter, Nhleko said he was satisfied there was a case of gross misconduct for McBride to answer to before the committee, or a disciplinary committee authorised by the National Assembly.

The uncertainty surrounding the misconduct allegations against McBride were damaging the Ipid’s integrity and independence. The sooner they were dealt with and finalised, the better for the public confidence in the watchdog, he said.

Nhleko suspended McBride in March 2015, for allegedly changing a report in which former Hawks head Anwa Dramat was implicated in the illegal renditions of five Zimbabweans in 2010.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.