IN A victory for institutional independence, the Constitutional Court has ruled that Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s suspension of Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Robert McBride was unlawful, leaving his fate in Parliament’s hands.This is a boost to Ipid’s independence, as the court struck down as unconstitutional parts of the Ipid Act that allowed the police minister to suspend and discipline the head of the police watchdog.McBride was suspended in March 2015 on allegations that he doctored a report into an Ipid investigation on the unlawful rendition of Zimbabwean nationals to cover up for former national Hawks head Anwa Dramat and Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibiya.McBride has denied this.The rendition allegations have seen a number of senior Ipid and Hawks officials face disciplinary processes and dismissal.But the officials claimed that the rendition allegations were only a pretext and they were being persecuted for investigations into high-level corrupt...
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