DA calls for parliamentary inquiry into alleged purges at IPID
6 September 2015
I will today write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Francois Beukman to request that the Acting Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Israel Kgamanyane, brief Parliament on the recent reports of purges taking place in IPID.
These allegations were reported last week, following the judgement from the Labour Court in Johannesburg which ruled that the Acting Head of IPID, Israel Kgamanyane, would not be able to take action against three senior managers accused of leaking information.
The real victims of the alleged internal wrangling and witch-hunts in IPID will be the South African public – notably those in poorer communities – who rely on the unit to ensure accountability for police criminality and abuses.
This current instability, caused by senior appointments made irregularly and which has all the hallmarks of political interference, threatens to derail the progress that the IPID has made towards being more professional and capable, as required by the National Development Plan.