Robert McBride (police officer)

Last updated

Robert McBride
MMS, CLS
Robert McBride (police officer).png
McBride in 2019
Personal details
Born (1963-07-06) 6 July 1963 (age 61)
Durban, South Africa
Awards Ribbon - Merit Medal in Silver.png Ribbon Conspicuous Leadership Star.png

Robert McBride MMS CLS (born 6 July 1963) is the former chief of the metropolitan police for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. During the apartheid era he was a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress, and was convicted of terrorism after he bombed Magoos Bar, a busy Durban night club, in an attack that killed three people. However, this conviction was "for all purposes...deemed not to have taken place" under the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act.

Contents

In February 2014 McBride was appointed as executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. [1] In March 2015 he was suspended from this position by the Minister of Police. The decision was set aside by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in September 2016 in McBride v Minister of Police . [2] He has been appointed as head of the Foreign Branch of the State Security Agency from 1 July 2020. [3]

Biography

During apartheid

McBride was born in Addington Hospital to Derrick McBride and grew up in Wentworth, a racially segregated suburb about 11 km from Durban, where his parents were schoolteachers. He attended Fairvale High School in Wentworth and participated in extramural activities like rugby, karate, boxing, chess, hockey and soccer. After he was beaten by an older boy in the neighbourhood, his father taught him martial arts. [4]

He developed political views at an early age due to influence of his father. He was particularly influenced by two books: A.J. Venter's Coloured: A Profile of 2 Million South Africans, which describes the efforts of coloured political activists such as James April, Don Mattera, Jakes Gerwel, Basil February, and his uncle, Rev. Clive McBride; and Soledad Brothers: The Prison Letters of George Jackson, written by a founding member of the American Black Guerrilla Family. [4]

McBride was best known for his leadership of the cell that bombed the "Why Not" Restaurant and Magoo's Bar in Durban on 14 June 1986, an attack in which three white women were killed and 69 people injured. He was captured and convicted for the Durban bombing, and sentenced to death, but later reprieved while on death row. In 1992, he was released after his actions were classified as politically motivated. He was later granted amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which provided for amnesty in return for complete disclosure of acts of politically motivated violence after the ANC changed its early denials of involvement to a claim that they ordered the bombing. [5] The South African government, at the time of the bombing, had portrayed the attack as being targeted at innocent civilians.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) report stated, "It seems that not many, if any, of the victims in this incident were members of the South African Police. Furthermore, the criticisms directed at the quality of reconnaissance of the "Why Not Bar" might very well be valid. It may be, as was argued, that he ought to have ensured at the relevant time that the primary targets of the attack were present and therefore the concept of the proportionality of the attack and its results must be considered." [6] McBride and others were granted amnesty for the attack, although the commission did find the bombing to be a "gross violation of human rights", [7] as well for other offences including those arising from the escape of Gordon Webster. In 2006, McBride received the Merit Medal in Silver and the Conspicuous Leadership Star from the South African National Defence Force [a] for his service and combat leadership in Umkhonto We Sizwe.[ citation needed ]

After apartheid

On 9 March 1998, McBride, then a high-ranking official in the South African Department of Foreign Affairs, was arrested by the Mozambican police in Ressano Garcia on charges of arms trafficking from Mozambique to South Africa, [8] despite an attempt to run for the border. [9] He was about to receive 50 AK-47 rifles and 100 Makarov pistols. [10] He maintained he was investigating arms trafficking while working for the South African National Intelligence Agency (NIA). After a period in detention, all charges were dropped. Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) head Mangosuthu Buthelezi has alleged, however, that the weapons were meant for ANC death squads to use against IFP leaders. [11]

In 1999, McBride faced an assault charge after he, underworld figure Cyril Beeka, and another man with whom they were visiting an escort agency, allegedly assaulted an agency employee. [12] [13]

McBride was held up by IRA/Sinn Féin leader Martin McGuinness as an example of a former combatant who moved up into a leadership role following the political changes in South Africa. [14] [15]

In 2003, McBride was appointed Chief of the Metropolitan Police of Ekurhuleni Municipality (formerly East Rand). [16] [17]

On 21 December 2006, after a Christmas party McBride was involved in a single car collision near Centurion. According to witnesses, McBride was under the influence of alcohol. Ekurhuleni metro police quickly arrived even though the scene was more than 40 km out of their jurisdiction. According to witnesses the Ekurhuleni metro police assaulted witnesses and threatened to shoot anyone who telephoned the South African Police Service (SAPS). McBride was quickly removed from the scene by the Ekurhuleni metro police. It was unclear whether in accordance with standard police procedure blood samples were taken by the Ekurhuleni metro police, or by a medical facility, to determine his blood-alcohol level. [18] [19]

Three of the Ekurhuleni metro police involved in removing McBride from the accident scene, Patrick Johnston, Stanley Segathevan and Ithumeleng Koko initially supported McBride, but subsequently gave "damning statements" to the South African Police. [20] Thereafter, it was reported that on 4 July 2007 McBride and a number of cars of Ekurhuleni metro police detained and intimidated Patrick Johnston at a petrol station, on the pretext that he was driving a car with tinted windows which is against South African traffic law. Segathevan joined Johnston, and members of the Boksburg SAPS Task Force arrived at the scene. McBride is alleged to have abused the SAPS members. [21]

Johnston and Segathevan were arrested by the Ekurhuleni metro police, but Henk Strydom, Boksburg's senior public prosecutor, declined to prosecute due to "insufficient evidence and a case totally without merit", and Johnston and Segathevan obtained a court interdict to protect them from McBride and the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, as they claimed McBride had made death threats against them, which McBride denied. [22] [23] McBride was charged with drunken driving, fraud and defeating the ends of justice following the car accident. [24] In his defence he produced a medical certificate stating that he was suffering from hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). The doctor who gave him the certificate is facing charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice with regard to the certificate. [25]

In 2011 the Constitutional Court found in The Citizen 1978 Pty (Ltd) and others v Mcbride 2011 (4) SA 191 (CC) that McBride, due to his role in the night club bombing, may legally be called a murderer.

In July 2021, McBride was suspended from his position as head of the foreign branch of the State Security Agency. [26] The SAA would not reveal if his dismissal was related to a failed SSA operation earlier in 2021, where four South African spies were caught and left stranded in Maputo, Mozambique. The spies were returned to South Africa after the intervention of state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo. [26]

Biographies

Two authors have written biographies on the life of Robert McBride:

Notes

  1. ↑ The medal was awarded under the auspices of the SANDF, but was in fact a retrospective award by MK for his service in and to MK

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela</span> South African activist and politician (1936–2018)

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. A convicted kidnapper, she served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2003, and from 2009 until her death, and was a deputy minister of arts and culture from 1994 to 1996. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served on the ANC's National Executive Committee and headed its Women's League. Madikizela-Mandela was known to her supporters as the "Mother of the Nation".

uMkhonto weSizwe Armed wing of the African National Congress

uMkhonto weSizwe was the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre. Its mission was to fight against the South African government to bring an end to its racist policies.

The Pebco Three were three black South African anti-apartheid activists – Sipho Hashe, Champion Galela, and Qaqawuli Godolozi – who were abducted and subsequently murdered in 1985 by members of the South African security police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Police Service</span> National police force of South Africa

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province. The nine Provincial Commissioners report directly to the National Commissioner. The head office is in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria.

The following lists events that happened during 1986 in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpions (South Africa)</span> Specialised unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa

The Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), commonly known as the Scorpions, was a specialised unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa formed by President Thabo Mbeki, tasked with investigating and prosecuting high-level and priority crimes including organised crime and corruption. An independent and multidisciplinary unit with a unique methodology which combined investigation, forensic intelligence, and prosecution, the Scorpions were known as an elite unit, and were involved in several extremely high-profile investigations, especially into the Arms Deal and into high-ranking African National Congress (ANC) politicians including Jackie Selebi, Jacob Zuma, and Tony Yengeni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Police</span> Law enforcement agency from 1913 to 1994

The South African Police (SAP) was the national police force and law enforcement agency in South Africa from 1913 to 1994; it was the de facto police force in the territory of South West Africa (Namibia) from 1939 to 1981. After South Africa's transition to majority rule in 1994, the SAP was reorganised into the South African Police Service (SAPS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bheki Cele</span> South African minister of police

Bhekokwakhe "Bheki" Hamilton Cele was the South African Minister of Police from February 2018 to 17 June 2024. He was National Commissioner of the South African Police Service for two years, until misconduct allegations led to his suspension in October 2011 and removal in June 2012. He has also served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, on the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council, and in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, and was imprisoned on Robben Island during apartheid.

The Constitution of South Africa protects all basic political freedoms. However, there have been many incidents of political repression, dating back to at least 2002, as well as threats of future repression in violation of this constitution leading some analysts, civil society organisations and popular movements to conclude that there is a new climate of political repression or a decline in political tolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Strachan</span> South African artist, freedom fighter, and writer (1925–2020)

Robert Harold Lundie "Jock" Strachan was a white South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. He flew for the South African Air Force during the Second World War, trained as an artist, then became Umkhonto we Sizwe's first explosives expert. He was imprisoned for sabotage, and after his release served another sentence for telling a journalist about poor prison conditions. He wrote two semi-autobiographical books, and completed the Comrades Marathon twice, winning a medal once. He married twice and had three children.

Siphiwe Mvuyane was a South African police officer involved in political killings in the Bantustan of KwaZulu. He died on 9 May 1993.

On 14 June 1986, the Magoo's Bar at the Parade Hotel on the beach-front area of Durban, Natal Province, South Africa was attacked with a car bomb, killing three civilians and injuring 69 others. Robert McBride, a leader in Umkhonto we Sizwe, was convicted of carrying out the attack and sentenced to death, but later reprieved and released.

Makhotso Magdeline "Maggie" Sotyu is a South African politician who is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries since May 2019. She has been a deputy minister since 2010, formerly as Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture and Deputy Minister of Police, and has represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly since June 1999.

Phila Portia Ndwandwe, also known as Zandile or Zandi) was a fighter of the Natal cadre of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) formed by Muzi Ngwenya operating from Swaziland. MK was the armed wing of the African National Congress, created by Nelson Mandela in 1961. Zandi was a mother when she was abducted by Apartheid forces and tortured. She was executed.

The Portfolio Committee on Police is a portfolio committee of the National Assembly of South Africa. It is responsible for oversight of the agencies managed by the Minister of Police, including the South African Police Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South African unrest</span> Riots after Jacob Zumas imprisonment, 9 to 18 July 2021

The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic policies. The unrest began in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the evening of 9 July, and spread to the province of Gauteng on the evening of 11 July, and was the worst violence that South Africa had experienced since the end of Apartheid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tania Campbell</span> South African politician (born 1967)

Tania Lynette Campbell is a South African Democratic Alliance politician who served as the Mayor of Ekurhuleni twice, from November 2021 until her removal in a motion of no confidence in October 2022 and again from November 2022 until her removal in a second motion of no confidence in March 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Security Branch (South Africa)</span> State intelligence agency, 1947 to 1991

The Security Branch of the South African Police, established in 1947 as the Special Branch, was the security police apparatus of the apartheid state in South Africa. From the 1960s to the 1980s, it was one of the three main state entities responsible for intelligence gathering, the others being the Bureau for State Security and the Military Intelligence division of the South African Defence Force. In 1987, at its peak, the Security Branch accounted for only thirteen percent of police personnel, but it wielded great influence as the "elite" service of the police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moe Shaik</span> South African spy and diplomat

Riaz "Moe" Shaik, also spelled Mo Shaik, is a South African civil servant, diplomat, businessman, and former intelligence operative who has been the South African High Commissioner to Canada since 2022. He is a former chief of the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee and a former director of the foreign intelligence wing of the State Security Agency, at that time still called the South African Secret Service.

References

  1. ↑ McBride appointed as head of Ipid, 28 February 2014
  2. ↑ McBride v Minister of Police and Another, (CCT255/15) [2016] ZACC 30 (6 September 2016)
  3. ↑ Naledi Shange, Former Ipid boss Robert McBride to head State Security Agency foreign branch, TimesLive, https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-07-16-former-ipid-boss-robert-mcbride-to-head-state-security-agency-foreign-branch/, 16 July 2020. Visited on 16 July 2020. He now has a son with his second wife, who he named Owethu Mthembu who was born in 2008 and schools at The Glen High School.
  4. 1 2 "South African History Timelines: Robert McBride". South African History Online. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  5. ↑ "The Citizen 1978 (Pty) Ltd v McBride (277/08) [2010] ZASCA 5; 2010 (4) SA 148 (SCA); [2010] 3 All SA 46 (SCA) (26 February 2010)". Saflii.org. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  6. ↑ What Robert McBride did, and who was harmed, politicsweb.co.za; accessed 1 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "The Liberation Movements from 1960 to 1990" (PDF). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report. 2. Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa): 333. The consequence in these cases, such as the Magoo's Bar and the Durban Esplanade bombings, were gross violations of human rights in that they resulted in injuries to and the deaths of civilians.
  8. ↑ "South Africa: Robert McBride is Formally Charged". 22 April 1998 – via AllAfrica.
  9. ↑ Daley, Suzanne (16 March 1998). "Official's Arrest Puzzles South Africa". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ "A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G: MONDAY 8 JUNE 1998". 10 February 2005. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Neilan, Terence (11 February 1999). "World Briefing". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Independent Newspapers Online (10 July 1999). "McBride off the hook in escort fracas". South Africa: Independent Online. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Beeka in murky underworld deals". The Citizen. South Africa. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Brendan (14 September 2006). "From prisoner to peace officer?". BBC.
  15. ↑ "McGuinness pays tribute to ANC's role in NI". BreakingNews.ie. 28 April 2004. Archived from the original on 19 August 2005.
  16. ↑ "Robert McBride, chief of police". Mail & Guardian. 30 October 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "From death row to SA police chief". BBC. 4 December 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  18. ↑ "Police probe McBride reckless-driving claims". Mail & Guardian. 23 December 2006. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  19. ↑ "McBride 'received medical care'". News24. 17 January 2007. Archived from the original on 20 January 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2007.
  20. ↑ "MPs vote for Robert McBride as IPID head". News24. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  21. ↑ amaBhungane (8 April 2019). "AMABHUNGANE: SAPS Wars Part 3: Bheki Cele, Robert McBride and the mysterious Mr Marimuthu". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Who the f*** are you?". IOL. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2007.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ "EDITORIAL COMMENT: McBride should be suspended until his name is cleared". The Times. 13 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
  24. ↑ "McBride was drunk, second witness says". The Times. 18 March 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ "McBride's doctor case postponed". News24. 7 February 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  26. 1 2 Mabuza, Ernest (8 July 2021). "Robert McBride suspended from State Security Agency". The Sowetan. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.