There will be a new Ipid head by March, Cele promises

A new executive director (ED) for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will be appointed by March, Police Minister Bheki Cele told the portfolio committee on police on Wednesday.

Previous executive director Robert McBride’s term ended in March this year, after the Fifth Parliament’s portfolio committee on police controversially resolved to not extend his contract.

Cele said he was initially not happy with the quantity and quality of candidates which applied for the job.

He said 19 people initially applied.

“We found it to be a very shallow pool,” he said.

“One guy who applied said he is the owner of a private security company,” Cele said.

He said there were 47 candidates.

“We are hopeful,” he said of the candidates.

He added that by March, there would be a new executive head, as the law required.

“I would have loved it to be by the end of October,” Cele said.

After McBride’s departure, Cele appointed Ipid’s chief financial officer Victor Senna as the acting executive head.

“Before I hand over to the new ED, I want to restore the credibility of Ipid,” he told the committee.

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