New Ipid boss vows to fight corruption without fear or favour

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Johannesburg - The newly-appointed acting head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Victor Ofenste Senna on Monday vowed to lead the police watchdog's fight against crime - particularly corruption - without fear or favour. Senna was formally introduced to Ipid management on Monday by Police Minister Bheki Cele, in Pretoria. "The Ipid plays an important role in the fight against corruption and other offences - this role will not be diminished by the departure of the former executive director [Robert McBride]", said Senna. "I have confidence in the Ipid team to live up to the high standard expected of us." Cele last week appointed Senna as Ipid head, for a period of three months.

Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini on Monday said Senna and the management team "would like some space to focus on the work at hand and will engage the media in due course to account to the public on our work".

Senna, 40, held the position of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Ipid since February 2018. He previously served as the Chief Director of Budget and Revenue at the Gauteng health department for two years; and prior to that, he was the general manager of finance at the South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) for two years.

On Thursday, McBride launched an urgent bid to keep his job beyond the expiry of his contract in the High Court in Pretoria.

His legal team filed notice with the court that he intended to apply for an urgent interdict against a decision by Parliament's police portfolio committee to confirm a decision by Cele to not renew McBride's term -- which expired on Thursday, February 28 -- for another five years.

In the court papers, McBride said he wished to approach the court on an urgent basis and convince it that the committee's decision was "unlawful and invalid" and should be "reviewed and set aside".

McBride is also requesting access to all the committee's documents and recordings which informed members of Parliament's (MPs') decision that his contract not be renewed.

In a statement shortly after filing his paper, McBride lashed out at MPs and called their decision "irrational" and claimed the decision was an attack on Ipid's independence.

African News Agency (ANA)