Greater independence for IPID closer as amendment bill approved
5 September 2018
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Amendment Bill, which aims to allow for greater independence of the police watchdog head, was on Tuesday approved in the National Assembly.
It intends to be aligned to the 2016 Constitutional Court ruling that gave the National Assembly 24 months to rectify a defect in the IPID Act, a law that essentially gives the minister of police powers to suspend, take any disciplinary steps pursuant to suspension, or remove from office the IPID executive director.
The bill will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the amendments to the act intend to restrict political influence in the removal and suspension of the police oversight body's executive directors.