McBride threatens legal action against non-renewal of contract
Parliament’s police committee says it has received a letter from the head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Robert McBride, following Police Minister Bheki Cele's decision not to renew his contract.
In 2016, McBride was reinstated after an 18-month suspension for allegedly interfering with an investigation into the illegal deportation of Zimbabwean murder suspects.
McBride and others were accused of attempting to cover up for former Ipid head Anwa Dramat but the charges were later dropped.
His contract ends at the end of February, but McBirde says he is determined to fight for the contract to be renewed.
In a letter to Cele, he says the decision to not renew his contract is unlawful.
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"The decision whether or not to renew or extend my term as the executive director of Ipid is not yours to take. It is a decision that vests in the relevant parliamentary committee as the body ultimately responsible for appointing the executive director.”
McBride has threatened Cele with legal action to force him to overturn the decision.
The committee’s chairperson Francios Beukman, however, says the matter first has to go to Speaker Baleka Mbete.
"If the matter is referred to us by the speaker and the documents are submitted to us by the police minister formally, then we will deal with it. The current legislation in terms of the Ipid Act deals with the appointment of the executive director, where a name is nominated by the executive authority (the police minister) and that is then confirmed by the portfolio committee on police.”
He says while the law does allow for the contract to be renewed for another five years, it's not explicit.
Cele has defended himself in a letter written to McBride, stating that while he does not wish to remove him from office, he has decided not to renew his contract.