/ 26 July 2007

DA calls for McBride’s suspension

The embattled chief of the Ekurhuleni metro police should be suspended, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday.

The DA’s Eddie Taylor said Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi should have suspended McBride, instead of giving him a ”paid holiday”.

Taylor said McBride’s action had caused harm to the reputation of Ekurhuleni and that he must be suspended.

”[Instead] he is given a paid holiday.”

Taylor said the municipality should not pay McBride’s legal fees as he was not on duty when he was involved in an accident in Pretoria in December last year.

Nkosi announced during a council meeting that McBride would be on paid leave subject to the review and depending on the progress and conclusion of his case.

McBride was given time off from work on July 21 after he appeared in the Pretoria Regional Court on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, defeating the course of justice and fraud.

He was granted R1 000 bail and will reappear in court in November.

The charges against him relate to the car accident.

Nkosi said the Ekurhuleni metro accepted the National Prosecuting Authority’s investigations into allegations levelled against McBride.

Deputy city manager Mkhabela Sibeko has been appointed acting chief of the metro police. — Sapa