Ipid Amendment Bill to curb police minister’s powers is close to becoming law
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Amendment Bill, which is meant to curb the powers of the police minister to suspend or remove the head of the police watchdog, is a step closer to becoming law. On Tuesday, the National Assembly voted in favour of the bill; it will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. In 2016, the Constitutional Court ruled that the police minister had no authority to dismiss the Ipid head without parliament instituting the necessary processes. This was after former police minister Nathi Nhleko moved to suspend Ipid executive director Robert McBride. McBride returned to the helm of Ipid in 2016, after a bitter turf war with Nhleko and former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane. The Constitutional Court said in its ruling that Ipid was an independent body established in terms of the constitution. It noted that Section 4(1) of the Ipid Act required it to function independently of the South African Po...
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