Nhleko appeals to MPs
A LETTER from Police Minister Nathi Nhleko asking Parliament to use its powers to take on Robert McBride, head of police watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), has been referred to MPs.
Nhleko addressed a media briefing in Parliament yesterday – the same day the letter referring the matter to Parliament’s portfolio committee on police was published in the legislature’s announcements, tablings and committee reports (ATC) document.
Nhleko was essentially asking MPs to discipline McBride for what the minister alleges was the doctoring of a report into former Hawks head Anwa Dramat and other senior colleagues’ involvement in the illegal rendition of Zimbabweans in 2010.
While denying he “has gone all out to reinstate charges against Mr McBride”, Nhleko said the Constitutional Court decision giving Parliament the powers to discipline the head of Ipid would now come into effect.
“The question of the Constitutional Court and the law comes in in the sense that its now defined by how the Constitutional Court read section 17DA(3) to 17DA(7) of the DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) Act into the Ipid Act… which in essence said it is for Parliament to decide on matters of discipline with regard to the executive director of Ipid,” Nhleko said.
“What this means is if there are transgressions or allegations of any nature… all that the minister has got to do is approach Parliament, report to Parliament what has transpired or what would have transpired, then it is for Parliament to decide how it would want to deal with a matter of such a nature.”
Parliament’s portfolio committee on police on Monday said it would call Nhleko to the committee next week Wednesday to explain current conflicts between the police and Ipid.