Chief Robert McBride

Chief Robert McBride is a former police officer and senior municipal official whose conduct came under scrutiny during the commission’s proceedings. Testimony described him as a policeman who, during his time in local government, clashed with civilian oversight—he was quoted telling the late Executive Mayor Duma Nkosi that he would not be dictated to by a civilian in budget matters. He was also implicated, alongside others, in allegations of high treason and espionage, though the record does not resolve these claims. Later testimony portrayed him as an active figure in internal investigations, including calling meetings to determine whether individuals had been approached and attempting to persuade an Ad Hoc Committee to call a witness. He was further quoted describing certain conduct as “unlawful prosecutable conduct” on the part of General Mkhwanazi.