The case in which Robert McBride is suing the Citizen newspaper for R3,6-million for defamation resumed at the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday.
Testifying in court, acting editor of the Citizen Martin Williams said the published articles stating that McBride was not suitable for the position of chief of metro police in Ekurhuleni were because of his criminal record, which includes the bombing of a bar in which 69 people were injured and three killed.
He said McBride was once detained for gun dealing in Mozambique and also had no experience or academic training as a traffic officer.
Because of this he was not suitable for the position as the chief of metro police, said Williams.
The case concerns mainly editorial comment by Williams, and opinion in a column by freelancer Andrew Kenny in September and October 2003.
The blast Williams referred to was at a bar off Durban’s beachfront in 1986 while McBride was a cadre in Umkhonto weSizwe, the military wing of the then-banned African National Congress.
In 1998 McBride was arrested in Mozambique on suspicion of arms-trafficking. He said he was investigating the illegal trade of arms.
McBride has two other court cases pending — one regarding a court order made against him and five metro police officers not to intimidate three colleagues who allegedly removed him from an accident scene without following proper procedure.
Getting his house in order
On Saturday, McBride was given ”time off” from work by Ekurhuleni metro mayor Duma Nkosi.
McBride said he would be attending to private matters that he could not previously attend to due to work pressures.
”Literally getting my house in order”, he said.
In November, McBride will face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, defeating the ends of justice and fraud in the Pretoria Regional Court.
McBride also faces alternative charges of reckless or negligent driving, conspiracy and incitement.
The charges relate to an accident in December last year near Centurion in Pretoria.
McBride was granted bail of R1 000 on Friday.
On Saturday, Nkosi told a media briefing that deputy city manager Mkhabela Sibeko would act in McBride’s position.
McBride told daily newspaper the Times that: ”If I am no longer needed, then I will go quietly.”
”I have no issue with that. Life goes on, the Ekurhuleni metro will go on.” — Sapa