McBride’s future in spotlight
POLICE Minister Nathi Nhleko could today shed light on whether he will act on the recommendations of an independent law firm to fire Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) chief Robert McBride for interfering with a report on the illegal rendition of Zimbabweans.
The meeting of the portfolio committee today comes after Nhleko welcomed the opportunity by the portfolio committee on police to give more clarity on the suspension and subsequent recommendation by a law firm for McBride to be axed.
McBride has been embroiled in a tussle with Nhleko since early this year for his role in the report on the illegal renditions of Zimbabweans.
A recommendation from a law firm a week ago was that McBride be fired from his job for interfering with two reports against former Hawks head Anwa Dramat.
McBride had before his suspension asked to appear before the committee, chaired by ANC MP Francois Beukman, but the committee refused.
This was because the Dramat matter had not been finalised.
Since then, Dramat has been given a golden handshake and has left the crime-busting unit.
But McBride is not off the hook as Nhleko called a probe against his conduct, in interfering with the reports on Dramat.
In his meeting with the portfolio committee today, the minister could give an indication on how soon he would act on the recommendations.
McBride had been on the job for 13 months before he ran into trouble with the minister.
Nhleko has since appointed the Free State provincial head of Ipid, Israel Kgamanyane, to act in McBride’s position.
When Kgamanyane appeared before the portfolio committee three weeks ago, he was asked by MPs about the suspension of his boss, but Beukman argued that it would be unfair to expect Kgamanyane to respond.
It was at that meeting that it was decided to ask Nhleko to appear before the committee and shed more light on the McBride debacle.
Nhleko said a few days ago that he welcomed the opportunity to appear.