Robert McBride

Robert McBride (born July 6, 1963 in Durban, South Africa) is the former chief of the Metropolitan Police for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. During the apartheid era he was a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, and was convicted for, amongst others, of the 1986 bombing of Magoo's Bar / “Why Not” Restaurant in Durban, which killed 3 and injured 69. He applied for and was granted amnesty for this and other militant actions taken during his time with MK by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

McBride was "released from his contract" (fired) on Friday 26th of September 2008, following his return to work in defiance of his ordered administrative leave [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3086&art_id=vn20080926054030845C524655] . Outcome of the current court case related to an alleged drunk driving incident is pending.

Early life

McBride's parents were schoolteachers and he grew up in Wentworth, a suburb about 11 km from Durban, in the racially segregated Addington hospital. He attended Fairvale High School in Wentworth and participated in extramural activities like rugby, karate and boxing. After he was beaten by an older boy in the neighbourhood, his father taught him martial arts.cite web|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/chronology/special-chrono/people/mcbride.html|title=SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY TIMELINES: Robert McBride|publisher=South African History Online|accessdate=2008-03-20]

McBride obtained a BA in international politics from the University of South Africa in 2001, a B.Tech degree in policing from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2007 and a diploma in foreign relations from the Institute of Diplomacy & Foreign Relations Malaysia.fact|date=May 2007

Militant anti-apartheid activities

He developed political views at an early age due to influence of his father. He was particularly influenced by two books: A. J. Venter's "Coloured: A Profile of 2 Million South Africans" which describes the efforts of coloured political activists such as James April, Don Mattera, Jakes Gerwel, Basil February, and his uncle, Rev. Clive McBride; and "Soledad Brothers: The Prison Letters of George Jackson", written by a founding member of the American Black Guerrilla Family.

In 1984, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC's military wing, attempted to sabotage the oil refinery near his home. McBride was soon recruited into the ANC and became an active member. On April 26, 1986, he carried out a daring act and freed Gordon Webster, a wounded MK commander, in a shootout with the police at Edendale Hospital.

Most well known was his leadership of the cell that bombed the "Why Not" Restaurant and Magoo's Bar in Durban on 14 June 1986, an attack in which 3 women were killed and 69 injured. He was captured and convicted for the Durban bombing, and sentenced to death, but later reprieved while on death row. In 1992, he was released after his actions were classified as political motivated. He was later granted amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which provided for amnesty in return for complete disclosure of acts of politically-motivated violence. The South African government at the time had portrayed the attack as being aimed targeted at innocent civilians, which given that the bomb was detonated on the highly popular 'Golden Mile' seafront frequented by thousands of civilians and tourists was understandable. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) report stated "It seems that not many, if any, of the victims in this incident were members of the South African Police. Furthermore, the criticisms directed at the quality of reconnaissance of the "Why Not Bar" might very well be valid. It may be, as was argued, that he ought to have ensured at the relevant time that the primary targets of the attack were present and therefore the concept of the proportionality of the attack and its results must be considered." [ [http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=86015&sn=Detail Politicsweb - FEATURES - What Robert McBride did, and who was harmed ] ] McBride and others were granted amnesty for the attack, although the commission did find the bombing to be a "gross violation of human rights", [cite journal | quotes = | date = | year = | month = | title = The Liberation Movements from 1960 to 1990 | journal = Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report | volume = 2 | issue = | pages = 333 | publisher = Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) | url = http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/report/finalreport/TRC%20VOLUME%202.pdf | quote = THE CONSEQUENCE IN THESE CASES, SUCH AS THE MAGOO’S BAR AND THE DURBAN ESPLANADE BOMBINGS, WERE GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THAT THEY RESULTED IN INJURIES TO AND THE DEATHS OF CIVILIANS. |format=PDF] as well for other offences including those arising from the escape of Gordon Webster.

During 2006 McBride received the Merit Medal in Silver and the Conspicuous Leadership Star from the South African National Defence Force for his service and combat leadership in Umkhonto We Sizwe.Fact|date=March 2008

Political career

During 1993, McBride was elected as a member of the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC, a position to which he was re-elected during 1995. He was part of the country's first democratic Provincial Legislature and served as an MP in the first democratic parliament in South Africa.

Foreign Affairs

In the Department of Foreign Affairs, McBride served as Director in charge of the Directorate for South East Asia, as the Department's representative at the National Intelligence Estimates Board (NIEB), and then as Director: Operational Services. In 2001 McBride was appointed as Head of Consular and Agency Services, and also served on the Immigrations Advisory Board.

On 9 March 1998, McBride, then a high-ranking official in the Department of Foreign Affairs, was arrested by the Mozambican police in Ressano Garcia, while investigating arms smuggling from Mozambique to South Africa. He maintained he was working with the South African National Intelligence Agency (NIA). After a period in detention, all charges were dropped and the High Court Judge in Mozambique declared his detention unlawful.fact|date=May 2008

McBride was also involved in the Irish Peace Process and was held up as an example of a former combatant who moved on to a leadership role following the settlement in South Africa. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5345748.stm|publisher=BBC|date=2006-09-14|title=From prisoner to peace officer?] [cite news|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2004/04/28/story145002.asp|date=2004-04-28|title=McGuinness pays tribute to ANC's role in NI|publisher=BreakingNews.ie]

Metropolitan police

In 2003 McBride was appointed Chief of the Metropolitan (Metro) Police of Ekurhuleni Municipality (formerly East Rand).cite news|title=Robert Mcbride appointed Chief of Police|publisher=iafrica.com|date=October 31, 2003|accessdate=2007-01-04] cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3291827.stm| title=From death row to SA police chief|publisher=BBC|date=2003-12-04|accessdate=2007-01-04]

Vehicle accident

On 21 December 2006, McBride was involved in a single car collision near Centurion. According to witnesses, McBride was under the influence of alcohol, and the metro police on the scene assaulted the witnesses and threatened to shoot them if they phoned the South African Police (SAP). McBride was quickly removed from the scene by Ekurhuleni metro police, even though the scene was more than 40 km out of their jurisdiction, and it is currently unclear whether he received medical treatment the night of the incident, and whether blood samples were taken by the metro police, or a medical facility, to determine his blood-alcohol level.cite news| url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294462&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/ |title=Police probe McBride reckless-driving claims| publisher=Mail & Guardian|date=December 23, 2006|accessdate=2007-01-04] cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2056096,00.html|title=McBride 'received medical care'| publisher=News24|date=January 17, 2007|accessdate=2007-01-17] Following the accident, three of the metro police involved in removing McBride from the accident scene, Patrick Johnston, Stanley Segathevan and Ithumeleng Koko gave "damning statements" to the South African Police. On 4 July 2007, McBride and about 10 cars worth of metro police detained Johnston at a petrol station, on the pretext that he was driving a car with tinted windows, which is against South African traffic law. Segathewan joined Johnston, and members of the Boksburg SAPS Task Force arrived at the scene. McBride is alleged to have abused the SAPS members. Johnston and Segathevan were arrested by the metro police, but Henk Strydom, Boksburg's senior public prosecutor, declined to prosecute due to "insufficient evidence and a case totally without merit", and Johnston and Segathevan obtained a court interdict to protect them from McBride and the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, as they claimed McBride had made death threats against them, which McBride denied.cite news|url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Top%20Stories&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070706001011518C947072| title=Who the f*** are you?|publisher=IOL|date=July 16, 2007|accessdate=2007-07-07] [cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=514894 |title=EDITORIAL COMMENT: McBride should be suspended until his name is cleared |publisher=The Times |date=July 13, 2007 |accessdate=2007-07-20]

McBride has been charged with drunken driving, fraud and defeating the ends of justice following this incident, [cite news|title=McBride was drunk, second witness says|url=http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=729696|publication=The Times|date=2008-03-18] and a doctor who gave him an allegedly false medical certificate stating that he was suffering from hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is also facing charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice. [cite news|url=http://www.24.com/news/?p=ra&i=833588|publication=News24|date=2008-02-07|title=McBride's doctor case postponed]

On 6 February 2008 a High Court Judge ruled in McBride's favour for a defamation of character claim against the Citizen newspaper for articles published during 2003/2004. A substantial award plus costs was made.fact|date=May 2008

Biographies

Two authors have written biographies on the life of Robert McBride:

* Till Babylon Falls, Bryan Rostron – ISBN 0-340-54061-3

* Robert McBride a Coloured Life, Gomolemo Mokae – ISBN 0-620-32181-4

References