Sowetan Online
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Is son of the soil, former freedom fighter and prominent death row prisoner Robert McBride becoming a villain?
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) wants McBride removed as Ekurhuleni's chief of police because "he is not fit for the job".
"We find his military behavior very unacceptable," said Koena Ramotlou, Samwu's secretary-general.
The union accused McBride of harassing its members and of constantly changing their conditions of employment.
But McBride said in line with his mandate, he had initiated a drive towards professionalism and tighter discipline.
"Some people do not like this and intend to disrupt the programme. We have taken zero-tolerance against corruption, and [these initiatives] are never popular," he said.
McBride said calls for his resignation emanate from people who cannot provide leadership.
He said the present disciplinary codes for metro police and other officials are the same, and he believes it should not be the case.
"Police officers have extensive powers, even deadly force. Ordinary citizens and officials do not have such powers. These widespread powers should be balanced with a higher level of accountability," he said.
But Ramotlou said Samwu members have instructed their leadership to hold a rally to finalise a programme for work stoppage until McBride, "is out of the system of the metro".
Bombing led to prominence
Robert McBride rose to became prominence in 1986 when as a unit commander of the ANC operations unit, he was arrested for the car bombing outside the planting a bomb at the Why Not Bar and Magoo's Bar in Durban.
McBride was subsequently sentenced to death for the attack in which three people died and 71 were injured. McBride was arrested and sentenced to death, but But he was later released after a deal between the ANC and the then governing National Party.
In 1998 McBride was arrested in Mozambique for alleged gun running and espionage. Charges against him were dropped.
He was appointed as the chief of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police in 2003.