DA finds Bheki Cele’s reasoning regarding McBride shaky

As Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) director Robert McBride gears up for his fight against Police Minister Bheki Cele, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has hit back against Cele in support of McBride.

This comes after Police Portfolio Committee (PPC) members received the minister’s submission on Friday morning in addition to McBride’s response to the submission.

“The DA finds the reasoning as reported to be shaky,” said DA Shadow Minister of Police Zakhele Mbhele in a statement.

Mbhele went on to add “the DA has noted reports outlining Police Minister Bheki Cele’s seeming rationale for his desire not to renew the contract of Ipid executive director Robert McBride for another five years. The central consideration that must occupy the minds of committee members from today until the conclusion of this matter is the substantive fitness-for-purpose and eligibility of Robert McBride to continue in the office of Ipid executive Director.”

Mbhele stated that such a consideration hinged on two key questions:

The first being: has McBride been found conclusively guilty of any misconduct or incompetence that would be egregious enough to warrant removal from office and thus, by extension, would disqualify him from contract renewal?

The second: has McBride’s performance as the executive director and/or that of the Ipid under his leadership been so chronically deficient that he is clearly unfit for that office?

“We are not convinced that either of these questions can be answered in the affirmative. While we acknowledge that there have been allegations levelled against McBride, these allegations are as yet untested and unproven,” explained Mbhele on behalf of the DA.

The DA believed that Cele had his work cut out for him if he was going to persuade the committee of his position.

“What we’ve heard so far is flimsy and opaque. He’s going to have to do better than that,” concluded Mbhele.

McBride is set to take to the stand at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.

He initially pulled out of testifying at the inquiry after news broke Cele would not be renewing McBride’s contract for a second term, leaving many wondering why this was so, and it is understood McBride’s statement is likely to contain damning evidence-based allegations.

ALSO READ: McBride slams Cele’s ‘feeble attempt’ at peddling ‘discredited’ allegations of betrayal

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