Nhleko, McBride battle is still far from over
POLICE Minister Nathi Nhleko will be in Parliament this week to answer questions on his public spats with Independent Police Investigative Directorate head Robert McBride.
The fight between the two men is far from over after Nhleko insisted last week that McBride needs to be re-charged by MPs.
But Parliament said yesterday it was still considering Nhleko’s fresh bid to have McBride disciplined by MPs as required by the Constitutional Court judgment.
The chairman of the portfolio committee on police, Francois Beukman, said it was not that simple to charge McBride and haul him before a disciplinary committee in Parliament without looking at the serious legal implications for the committee.
McBride and Nhleko have been embroiled in messy political fights, which drew Parliament to warn them to desist.
Nhleko has denied claims that he was gunning for McBride after he allegedly met some of the members of the Hawks to charge him on a decade-old matter.
McBride has accused Nhleko and others of wanting him out of his Independent Police Investigative Directorate job.
Beukman confirmed that Nhleko would appear before MPs on Wednesday to discuss his spat with McBride as well as allegations that his girlfriend received R30 million in a contract to fight xenophobia.
The Civilian Secretariat for Police also came out in defence of Nhleko, denying that Indoni, owned by the minister’s girlfriend Nomcebo Mthembu, had been awarded a tender of R30m. It said the contract was worth R348 000.
Request
Beukman said the meeting with Nhleko on Wednesday would be preceded by the parliamentary meeting on whether to consider his request to re-charge McBride in Parliament.
This was after the first inquiry was botched by Parliament, leading Nhleko to blast the ANC study group in Parliament and Speaker Baleka Mbete.
But Beukman said yesterday they wanted legal certainty before re-charging McBride.
The issue of McBride would be discussed in the management committee of the portfolio committee on Tuesday.
“Depending on the outcome of the management committee meeting we will decide how to deal with the matter,” he said.
“The previous time the matter was on the table the view of the parliamentary legal services was that we can’t deal with the matter unless there is a resolution of the House,” he said.
“The matter is under consideration from the committee. We want to look at what is the legal implication for us,” said Beukman.
They did not want to take a decision that would backfire.
The management committee of the portfolio committee on police will decide on this on Tuesday.
“The legal issue is, can the portfolio committee proceed without a legal resolution from the House? The issue is that if there is no House resolution can the portfolio committee deal with it?” he said.
It is this legal certainty that will enable MPs to decide on Nhleko’s request on whether to charge McBride.
Nhleko has said his relationship with McBride has broken down irretrievably.
He had said despite winning the Constitutional Court fight he could not suspend him unilaterally.
But McBride has warned those who are intent on getting him out of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.