McBride slams public protector’s report

Former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) boss Robert McBride has labelled Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s recent report into allegations of maladministration against him as an “erosion of Ipid’s independence”.

McBride said the report was likely to interrupt Ipid’s investigations into the alleged corruption and looting within the police as the report implicated most of Ipid’s executive members.

The complaint against McBride was lodged with Mkhwebane’s office in June 2018 by former Ipid investigator Cedrick Nkabinde.

Nkabinde’s complaint details alleged irregular appointments, maladministration and protected disclosure regarding alleged unethical conduct by McBride.

The former investigator had complained about the alleged irregular appointment of Theresa Botha as a deputy director at Ipid – she was previously an administrative clerk with the police.

In her report, Mkhwebane said Nkabinde’s complaint that Ipid suspended him in retaliation against his protected disclosure regarding the alleged unethical conduct by McBride and the grievance against the alleged irregular appointment of Botha was “substantiated”.

“The complainant was subjected to a disciplinary hearing/ occupational detriment by Ipid and charged for reasons that were patently or casually related to his making of a protected disclosure as defined, thereby improperly prejudicing him as he had to later resign by conducting a settlement agreement with Ipid,” the report said.

McBride hit back at Mkhwebane’s report, saying the timing was “suspicious in that the release is on the eve of the widely anticipated testimony of senior Ipid investigators at the Zondo commission”. – News24 Wire