ATC140206: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on the appointment of the Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, dated 29 January 2014

The report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on the appointment of the executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate that was published on Friday, 31 January 2014 (ATC, p25) is hereby replaced by the following report:

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on the appointment of the Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, dated 29 January 2014.

The Portfolio Committee on Police, having considered the subject of the nomination by the Minister of Police of Mr Robert John McBride as executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), reports as follows:

On 11 November 2013, the Speaker announced that the Minister of Police had written to the Assembly on 8 November 2013, nominating Mr Robert John McBride as his preferred candidate for appointment as the executive director of IPID in terms of section 6(2) of Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act, 2011 (No 1 of 2011).

The Minister’s letter and supporting documents were referred to the Portfolio Committee on Police for consideration and report since the Act requires “the relevant parliamentary committee” to confirm or reject the Minister’s nomination for the post within 30 working days.

On 29 January 2014, the Minister of Police was afforded an opportunity to explain to the portfolio committee his reasons for nominating Mr McBride and the committee proceeded to discuss and formally consider his nomination.

The African National Congress voted in favour of confirming the Minister’s nomination and the Democratic Alliance, African Christian Democratic Party and Freedom Front Plus opposed it. The question was therefore supported by the majority of the members of the committee.

The Act does not require the House to endorse the committee’s decision. The portfolio committee, having successfully discharged its statutory obligation in terms of Act, consequently requested the Speaker, as a matter of protocol, to communicate the committee’s confirmation of the Minister of Police’s nomination of Mr McBride as the executive director of IPID to the Executive.