Vavi argues for Ipid to be removed from Nhleko’s control

Trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi has weighed in on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) budgetary constraints, saying the police watchdog body can never be truly independent if it continues to report to Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko.

On Wednesday, Ipid head Robert McBride appeared before Parliament’s portfolio committee on police and told MPs the organisation was cash-strapped, saying the organisation could not have full autonomy with a lack of funding.

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McBride said the Ipid’s role in the Marikana Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of 34 striking miners had been frustrated because there had not been enough funding to recreate a crime scene, including ballistics reports.

He said budget problems had made its attempts to become entirely independent impossible.

“The Farlam Commission also makes recommendations relating to our independence and nonreliance on SAPS for key investigative capacity. That is unlikely to be fulfilled if we continue to be underfunded,” McBride said.

The Ipid has recently come under the public spotlight over its fraud and corruption investigation, among others, into acting police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane, and its involvement with controversial private forensic consultant Paul O’Sullivan, who is aided the body’s probe against the top cop.

Taking to Twitter, the former Cosatu general secretary raised concerns about Nhleko’s position as the commander of the country’s police, suggesting the Ipid’s budget was now being squeezed.