McBride letter shows ANC double standards on corruption

14 October 2015

A letter written by the baselessly suspended Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Robert McBride, reveals that his suspension was seemingly nothing more than a witch hunt that will further erode the efficacy of and public confidence in our police watchdog, all to protect a National Police Commissioner who has, since Day 1, proven that she is not fit to be our nation’s top cop.

The DA will therefore forward this letter to President Jacob Zuma asking if he received this letter and if he hasn’t what actions will he take against his Minister who is clearly manipulating due process. 

The letter authored by McBride to Minister Nhleko requested him to “advise the President about the acts of misconduct by the National [Police] Commissioner and for the President to consider precautionary suspension against the former in order to allow IPID to investigate and finalise investigations into acts of misconduct (possible offences of corruption, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice) against the National Commissioner.”

This letter is dated 13 January 2015. Mr McBride was swiftly and suspiciously suspended two months later with the plot to get rid of him for acting independently in this regard for holding the National and Provincial Commissioners to account for unlawful and unethical conduct.

The scathing IPID letter to Minister Nhleko asserts that NPC Phiyega facilitated a cover up by acting entirely inappropriately. This includes:

-Failing to take disciplinary steps against the KZN Police Commissioner for alleged corrupt dealings;

-Renewing her contract instead of taking disciplinary steps;

-Unduly interfering in corruption investigations.

The IPID indeed found that Commissioner Phiyega may in fact be “an active participant in enabling a corrupt environment within the SAPS.”

The fact that allegations of such a serious nature as contained in Robert McBride's letter were not immediately taken up and escalated by the Police Minister, yet curiously the allegations against Mr McBride led rapidly to his suspension and a vigourous process to remove him from his position, speaks volumes. It shows that there are different standards for different people under the ANC government when it comes to addressing corruption. Even now, after the findings of the Farlam Commission, the National Police Commissioner is inexplicably not suspended while the presidential inquiry into her fitness for office is underway. 

Being a useful cadre clearly gives one almost superhuman immunity from accountability.

The DA noted at the establishment of the inquiry into her fitness for office that the terms of reference were only limited to her conduct that led to the Marikana Massacre. The DA will therefore petition the Head of the Inquiry to widen the terms of reference to include her entire career as Police Commissioner as outlined in our submissions to the President on 04 August 2015.

President Zuma has failed to suspend her and we will now approach the Inquiry directly, in the confidence that the jurists be guided by the law, due process and all the facts in considering Commissioner Phiyega’s fitness for office.

From Nxasana at the NPA and Pillay at SARS to Dramat at the Hawks and now McBride at IPID, it is apparent that the drive for state capture and cronyist politicisation that destroys the credibility in our criminal justice system is strong.

In this kleptocracy, we have unfortunately come to expect this sort of abuse of power where high-ranking, connected officials are protected when facing allegations of corruption and not rooted out.

IPID cannot suffer the fate of the NPA, SARS and the Hawks. The Police portfolio committee and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry have a duty to ensure that Minister Nathi “Firepool” Nhleko accounts for his dereliction of duty and follow through on serious allegations against a Police Commissioner who seems more intent on protecting her friends and not fighting the crime that affects so many South Africans, as revealed by our latest crime stats.

Statement issued by Zakhele Mbhele MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 14 October 2015