Former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) chief, Mr Robert McBride, has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Police by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, to occupy the position of the executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Mr McBride’s nomination by the police minister will be seen by some as highly controversial. He was convicted of the June 14, 1986, Magoo’s Bar bombing in Durban. Although sentenced to death, he was released in 1992.
In 1998, he was arrested in Mozambique for gun-running but all charges were subsequently dropped. In 1999, Mr McBride and the late Mr Cyril Beeka, visited an escort agency and he was arrested for assaulting one of the employees at the agency. The two men knew each other from when they both served in the ANC’s armed wing, Mkhonto Wesizwe (MK).
He was appointed as the head of the EMPD in 2003. In 2006 he was involved in a car accident on the R511 in Centurion, after leaving a Christmas party. His conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol was overturned on appeal. He later left the EMPD, leaving behind a large legal bill for the municipality.
The news that he might return as the head of IPID has sparked debate from all corners. The Democratic Alliance leader in Ekurhuleni, Clr Shelley Loe, spoke out.
“If Mr McBride’s nomination as head of the IPID serves only to focus attention on him and the millions he owes Ekurhuleni’s residents, the DA in the metro would be most grateful,” said Clr Loe.
She said her party had been pushing the ANC in the metro for the past five years to recoup the money council had spent for Mr McBride to fight his drunken driving case in court.
“Not least amongst the DA’s issue is that public money was used to defend one individual. The fact is the ANC transgressed an unambiguous council regulation that no more than R10 000 of public money be used to assist any official with legal costs,” said Clr Loe.
According to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Annelize Van Wyk, a letter inviting Minister Nathi Mthethwa to proffer his preferred candidate has already been sent.
“The meeting to proffer Mr McBride to the committee will take place on January 28, 2014. The meeting will afford Minister Mthethwa an opportunity to table Mr McBride’s CV, after which the committee will deliberate on Mr McBride’s candidacy,” said Ms van Wyk.
She said the January 28 meeting would fall well within the stipulated 31 days time-frame. “With parliament going on recess next week, the only time we can accommodate a meeting for this referral is during next year’s first committee meetings, which will still be compliant with the set time-frame,” said Ms Van Wyk. She said after the committee’s deliberations, a recommendation will be made to the National Assembly on the matter.
