Public hearings into Ipid Amendment Bill to get underway in Parliament
Public hearings into the contentious Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Amendment Bill start at Parliament on Wednesday.
The Ipid Bill, which has been found to be unconstitutional by the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor and other legal advisors, was adopted by the police committee despite not being certified.
The public hearings into the bill, which will still give the minister of police powers over the appointment of the Ipid head, will be held virtually starting on Wednesday morning.
The public hearings into the Ipid Amendment Bill follow a decision to adopt the motion of desirability by the committee in early September, in line with National Assembly Rules.
This has happened despite questions around the constitutionality of the bill being raised.
Organizations like the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) have already raised concerns about the bill, saying it is unlikely to build trust as it proposes weakening the provisions for appointing the Ipid executive director, by excluding Parliament and centralizing control over the process in the hands of the police minister and Cabinet.
The amendment bill, which was gazetted for public comment, removed Parliament from the process, replacing it with an independent panel to make recommendations to the minister.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called the bill unconstitutional, saying there was no independence in the appointment process.
On Wednesday, organizations like the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, civil rights organization, AfriForum, and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) are expected to make submissions.
-EWN
In other news – Kelly Khumalo causes a scene on stage
Well-known South African singer, Kelly Khumalo reportedly caused a stir at a show over the past weekend. According to ZiMoja, the singer wasn’t pleased with the sound quality at the Lemo Festival, hence she interrupted her band and demanded that the technical crew fix the problem.
“She is talented that is one thing you can’t take from her. The crowd came to a standstill and sang along,” the source disclosed. Read More
