Former lecturer takes objective look at issue

SENIOR Institute for Security Studies researcher Johan Burger – who about seven years ago was one of Robert McBride’s lecturers at the Tshwane University of Technology when he was obtaining a B.tech degree in policing – said if McBride did get the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) position, it would be a controversial appointment, “given the issues surrounding him”.

But he also believes the matter needs to be viewed objectively.

“On the positive, he was head of the metro police for a number of years, therefore he has an extremely good policing background,” he said.

Burger had found McBride to be “a highly intelligent person. He was one of my top students”, he said.

“This guy is not going into this blindly. He knows about policing and police.”

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s spokesman, Zweli Mnisi, said because the filling of the head of the Ipid post was not yet final, opinions from parties was preliminary.

In a statement, Mthethwa did not refer to any of the controversies surrounding McBride. He said there was “understandably” expectation from the public for the Ipid to live up to high standards.

Mthethwa’s statement listed McBride’s qualifications, which included a degree in international politics from

This guy is not going into this blindly

Unisa and a diploma in foreign relations from the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations in Kuala Lumpur.

McBride’s nomination is the latest in a string of controversial management incidents in the police – it recently came to light that national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega was being investigated for allegedly defeating the ends of justice.

The Ipid is heading the probe into Phiyega.