President yet to sign Ipid Bill

Proposal is to curb minister’s powers

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet signed into law the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Bill almost two months after it was passed by legislators.

The new law proposes clipping the Minister of Police’s powers to suspend or fire the head of Ipid.

It emanates from a Constitutional Court judgment in 2016 after former Ipid head Robert McBride challenged his suspension by then minister Nathi Nhleko.

After working on the bill for two years, Parliament finally passed it late last year and handed it over to Ramaphosa to be signed into law.

The adoption of the bill came after the national legislature had missed the two-year deadline set by the Constitutional Court in September 2016.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko did not respond to a message yesterday.

The new law has effectively stripped Minister Bheki Cele of the powers to suspend or fire the head of Ipid.

McBride’s contract ended in March last year, Cele did not renew it and Parliament concurred with the minister.

Victor Senna has been acting in the position since then and Cele has not appointed a permanent head.

Despite Parliament passing the bill stripping the Minister of Police’s powers to suspend or fire the Ipid boss, the Constitutional Court is preparing for another battle between civil society and the police.

This is in relation to a challenge that no politician must play a role in the appointment of the head of Ipid.

Ipid was involved in a bitter fight with former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, which saw the two having heated exchanges in the National Assembly’s portfolio committee meeting two years ago.

Various allegations against each other were made.

McBride had served as Ipid boss for a full term of five years, but the police committee had decided against renewing his contract.

McBride had tried to push for his renewal, but Cele recommended to the committee that he was against it.

The majority of ANC members voted against the decision to extend his contract.

The entity was one of several government departments and institutions that have faced major budget cuts from the National Treasury in recent times.

The Minister of Finance will indicate next month to which entities, if any, an increase in allocation has been granted. But the revenue collection shortfall has impacted on the government’s budget as well.