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Pretoria – IPID head Robert McBride is one step closer to answering a charge of child abuse.
McBride, the former chief of the Ekurhuleni metro police who is accused of assaulting his teenage daughter, made a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The matter was postponed for the disclosure of the docket. McBride on his previous appearances had pushed for a speedy trial, saying he wants to clear his name.
"This matter is postponed for 28 November, not for a trial date but for the disclosure of the docket," Magistrate Ignatius du Preez told McBride as he stood in the dock.
McBride has been charged with child abuse and an alternate charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after allegedly assaulting his daughter whilst driving in a car in August this year.
He later said that he had merely admonished his daughter.
McBride broke his silence after it surfaced that he was being investigated for the assault of a minor child.
READ: 'I deny that I assaulted her'
Speaking "with a heavy heart", he said he decided to issue a statement after his daughter's details were being circulated by people who had failed by other means to get rid of him.
The case was opened by a woman who had unsuccessfully asked him to squash a traffic fine, he claimed.
He explained that he had become concerned about his daughter's school marks and "somewhat rebellious" behaviour, and had admonished her, but never assaulted her.
"I deny that I assaulted her and that she had any injuries when I left her at home. I have already indicated to the police that I will co-operate fully with the investigation,'' he said.
McBride, who is out on bail of R10 000, was a former member of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
In February 2015 News24 reported that he was suspended from his position as head of the police's watchdog-the Independent Police Investigative Directorate by former police minister Nathi Nhleko.
He was accused of allegedly altering a report by IPID on former Hawks boss Anwa Dramat and Hawks Gauteng head Shadrack Sibiya. They were accused of illegally deporting a group of Zimbabweans wanted for murder.
This was overturned by the Constitutional Court in 2016.
