Former IPID head Robert McBride testified before Parliament's ad hoc committee on 21 January 2026, dredging up the Nkandla fire pool scandal involving former president Jacob Zuma. He accused officials of misusing funds and faced scrutiny over his ties to private investigator Paul O'Sullivan. The committee is probing alleged drug cartel infiltration in South Africa's criminal justice system.
Robert McBride, former head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), appeared before Parliament's ad hoc committee on 21 January 2026, the second day of his testimony. The committee is investigating claims by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi from July 2025 about drug cartel infiltration in the criminal justice system, politics, and private security.
McBride revived the decade-old Nkandla scandal, referring to renovations at former president Jacob Zuma's KwaZulu-Natal residence. He highlighted the 'fire pool,' initially presented as a security feature but later exposed as a swimming pool. 'In fact, with the same amount of money used, you could have built a mansion that’s super safe,' McBride said. He noted that secret service funds from Crime Intelligence were misused for these upgrades, which should have been funded by the Department of Public Works.
The scandal originated in 2014 when Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Zuma unduly benefited from the upgrades, with state organs failing supply chain rules. In 2024, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula admitted the party misled Parliament, saying, 'We went to Parliament and opened an ad hoc committee and said a swimming pool is a fire pool.'
McBride claimed former Hawks head Anwa Dramat was targeted politically for approving an investigation into the funds. Proceedings grew heated as ActionSA MP Dereleen James accused McBride of close ties to Paul O'Sullivan and his associate Sarah-Jane Trent, suggesting he shared sensitive information. 'You’ve rolled out the red carpet to Mr O’Sullivan and all his cronies,' James said. McBride denied a romantic link and defended communications as routine.
James further probed contradictions on IPID's use of private forensics, alleging McBride lied about capabilities. McBride insisted he did not recall specifics but noted requests to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). Committee chair Soviet Lekganyane (noted as Molapi Lekganyane in one report) urged calm.
McBride also alleged email wipes at IPID since June 2025 and interference in probes against former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, a friend of Mkhwanazi. He reflected on past arrests, including a 1986 ANC-related bombing and a withdrawn 2017 family assault case, bristling at questions about his daughter.
The testimony underscores ongoing tensions in South Africa's law enforcement, with McBride warning of personal risks: 'I’ve been on death row for a long time.'
