Khuba told he would be fired over ‘rendition saga’ disciplinary process

Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator Innocent Khuba was informed that he would be dismissed if he continued to participate with the disciplinary process over the infamous Zimbabwe rendition saga, the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture heard on Friday.

Khuba, who was the lead investigator on the matter, produced two reports through IPID, which reached contradictory conclusions.

An initial investigation into the matter, which probed the rendition of five Zimbabwean nationals between November 2010 and January 2011, alleged that former Gauteng Hawks boss Shadrack Sibiya and former Hawks boss Anwa Dramat might have been involved in the matter and should be charged.

A second IPID report cleared them of any wrongdoing, News24 reported.

Khuba’s explanation for the second conclusion was that further analysis revealed there was no evidence to prove that Dramat and Sibiya were guilty of any wrongdoing.

However, Nathi Nhleko, then-minister of police, used the initial report to suspend Sibiya and Dramat. When the media approached former IPID executive director Robert McBride on the issue, he indicated that the IPID report did not make these recommendations.

“This is when the conflict between the minister and executive director McBride started,” IPID national head of investigations, Matthews Sesoko, previously told the commission.

An “inquiry” process followed – conducted by Werksmans Attorneys – after the then-police minister required answers regarding the circumstances behind what became known as the first and second report.

Khuba was summoned to this hearing on July 7, 2015.

Prior to the hearing, acting IPID executive director Israel Kgamanyane requested that Khuba go to Duma Nokwe chambers in Sandton to meet with advocate William Mokhari SC.

Khuba claimed the purpose of the request was to allegedly get him to make a confirmatory affidavit in support of Nhleko, in a departmental case against McBride.

“They were using me to turn against McBride [who was on suspension at the time] and that backfired.

“The letter they wanted me to sign said that I lied and that I altered the reports. I refused to sign because I would be lying,” Khuba told the commission.

During the period of this refusal, Khuba was also requested to attend three interviews with Werksmans Attorneys on the matter. His colleagues, McBride and Sesoko, were also subjected to interviews with the law firm.

A report by the law firm later recommended that the three be suspended and charged for fraud and defeating the ends of justice, News24 reported.

Khuba received his suspension letter in May 2015, however, due to a court challenge by McBride on the suspension and the fact that Sesoko was in hospital, the disciplinary process was postponed.

The IPID investigator’s lawyer was then approached by Mokhari, suggesting Khuba’s disciplinary process be separated from that of McBride and Sesoko.

“IPID’s legal representative informed mine that I would be given a final written warning, but if I persisted in having a full hearing, I would be dismissed,” Khuba said

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