Mbete must give go-ahead on McBride hearing
THE STAND-OFF between Police Minister Nathi Nhleko and National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete on the institution of a disciplinary hearing against Robert McBride remains unresolved.
This comes after the portfolio committee on police said yesterday it was waiting for direction from Mbete.
Nhleko said he was waiting for Mbete to give the nod on the disciplinary hearing of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) boss.
The stand-off began last year when Parliament dropped the hearing after the Constitutional Court ruled that only Parliament can institute disciplinary hearings against McBride.
He was initially suspended by Nhleko over an incident involving the illegal rendition of several Zimbabweans.
But McBride successfully challenged his suspension, forcing Nhleko to allow him back into his job.
Nhleko later accused Mbete and the ANC study group of allowing the lapse of the deadline to charge McBride in Parliament.
Yesterday, chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Francois Beukman said there was still no decision on the matter.
“There needs to be a House resolution for the matter to be referred to the committee and there is no House resolution from the Speaker,” he said.
Nhleko’s spokesperson Sandile Ngidi said the ball was in the court of the Speaker or Parliament. He also said there needed to be a House resolution to address the matter.
“They didn’t say they won’t do it, they need a House resolution. One would not say they won’t do it. We need to respect the independence of the institution,” Ngidi added.
“Remember, the trigger of this is the Constitutional Court’s decision. What the minister has been trying to do is to follow that injunction,” he said.
Parliament did not respond to questions before publication.
McBride and Nhleko have been at loggerheads after his suspension in March 2015.
This was a few months after McBride was appointed head of Ipid. He was accused of tampering with the report on the illegal rendition of the Zimbabweans.
After the Constitutional Court ruled that Nhleko did not have the power to suspend and discipline McBride, the Ipid boss said he was vindicated by the decision.