Zuma’s ‘security fire pool’ cost as much as a mansion — McBride dredges up past scandal

Former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Robert McBride has dredged up a past scandal involving former president Jacob Zuma – renovations at his KwaZulu-Natal residence in Nkandla that included what was initially sold to Parliament and the public as a security-related “fire pool”.

McBride referred to the controversial pool while testifying at Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday, 21 January 2026.

The committee is investigating accusations that a drug cartel has infiltrated the country’s criminal justice system, politics and private security.

Those allegations were first made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in July last year.

‘Death row’

Wednesday marked the second day that McBride, who now heads the State Security Agency’s Foreign Branch, testified before the ad hoc committee, whose members had a chance to ask him questions.

On his first day, he made striking allegations against Mkhwanazi, suggesting he did not trust the policeman.

Wednesday’s proceedings became extremely heated and even sensitive at times.

McBride, addressing the risks associated with the type of work he was involved in and what he was testifying about, said he understood it could be the last time he appeared in Parliament.

Read more: Kidnapping and ‘body bags threat’ add sinister edge to SA’s clashing State Capture narratives

“I’ve been on death row for a long time,” he said.

“I don’t mind.”

At another point during the proceedings, ActionSA’s Dereleen James put it to McBride that he previously had a romantic relationship with an associate of forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, whose name has repeatedly surfaced throughout the overall proceedings as someone allegedly meddling in policing matters. McBride denied it.

James had also grilled him on his proximity to O’Sullivan, saying: “You’ve rolled out the red carpet to Mr O’Sullivan and all his cronies.”

The ‘fire pool’ that wasn’t

Among the many issues and people McBride testified about on Wednesday was former Hawks head Anwa Dramat, who was suspended from that position and whom McBride said had been targeted for political reasons.

He specified that Dramat had “okayed” an investigation into the use of the secret service funds at Crime Intelligence that had been earmarked for “renovations at the former president’s house”.

McBride explained that renovations to improve security were known to take place at the homes of heads of state and senior ministers.

The Department of Public Works would normally fund such upgrades, not any secret service fund.

McBride said neither he nor Dramat were involved in the investigation into the renovations, and it was Parliament that had taken this over.

While he did not name Zuma, it became clear McBride was referring to him because he said he later saw a demonstration relating to the “fire pool” that included “lovely opera music playing to show how wonderful it is when the firemen are able to put out fires”.

Read more: It was a lie — Mbalula admits ANC tricked Parliament to protect Zuma in Nkandla ‘fire pool’ debacle

The “fire pool” scandal dates back more than a decade.

In 2014, the Public Protector at the time, Thuli Madonsela, found that Zuma “unduly benefited” from upgrades to his private Nkandla residence and that “the organs of state involved”, including the Department of Public Works, “failed dismally to follow Supply Chain Management prescripts”.

Fast-forward to 2024, and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula revealed that to protect Zuma, the party had misled Parliament about the pool.

“We went to Parliament and opened an ad hoc committee and said a swimming pool is a fire pool,” Mbalula had said.

“The [then] police minister [Nathi Nhleko] was sweating, seeing that this was a lie, because it is difficult to explain lies.

“People have lost their careers because of that thing.”

‘Cost as much as a mansion’

Testifying on Wednesday at the ad hoc committee, McBride reiterated that the fire pool was not a security measure.

“In fact, with the same amount of money used, you could have built a mansion that’s super safe,” he said.

McBride added that he had spoken to a person – presumably a Zuma family member – about the situation and asked: “How can you allow people to misuse the old man?”

He said beams, electric wires and a special fence had been used to secure the so-called fire pool.

But someone could have used a “bow and arrow with a fire tip that goes over your beam, over your electric fence, over your security fence, so it’s a waste of money”.

McBride, Phahlane and Mkhwanazi

The focus at Wednesday’s ad hoc committee proceedings was on McBride’s former workplace, Ipid.

He alleged that since June, presumably last year, certain emails at Ipid had been wiped and hard copies of documents removed from its premises as part of the overall law enforcement scandal.

McBride’s period as Ipid boss began in 2014, but this was interrupted the following year when he was placed on precautionary suspension.

The Constitutional Court set aside McBride’s suspension in 2016. He filled the role from then until early 2019.

Read more: ‘Mkhwanazi tried to disrupt Ipid probe into ex-acting cop boss Phahlane’ — McBride

While McBride headed Ipid, it had investigated former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, who faces charges in a corruption case.

For his part, Phahlane claims he is the target of an ongoing smear campaign spearheaded by people including McBride and O’Sullivan.

In Tuesday’s testimony, McBride alleged that Mkhwanazi had tried to hinder the Ipid investigation into Phahlane, who he said was a friend of Mkhwanazi.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, McBride again referred to this.

He also spoke about former Ipid member Cedrick Nkabinde, who went on to become chief of staff for Senzo Mchunu, the police minister who was sidelined last year over the cartel infiltration scandal.

Nkabinde previously testified at the ad hoc committee that around 2017, when he was still with Ipid, a team was allegedly assembled to ensure that Phahlane would not be appointed national police commissioner.

According to Nkabinde, the aim of the team, which included O’Sullivan, was to ensure that McBride became national police commissioner.

During Wednesday’s ad hoc proceedings, MK party member Vusi Shongwe asked McBride if he would have made a good national police commissioner.

McBride referred to Nkabinde’s previous testimony and said: “The truth of the matter [is that] I never put my hat in the ring.

“I think on reflection, in retrospect, I should have. You wouldn’t have had this, where money [is] flying all over the show.”

Arrests

Earlier on Wednesday, the MK party’s Sibonelo Nomvalo asked McBride whether he had ever been arrested.

McBride said he had once, because of “activities on behalf of the liberation movement” – this would appear to relate to the 1986 bombing of Magoo’s Bar in Durban.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report explained that “three people were killed and about 69 injured in a car bomb explosion at Magoo’s Bar” and that McBride, then a member of the ANC’s armed wing Umkhonto weSizwe, was part of a cell behind the incident.

The final report said that the ANC had submitted to the commission that the bombing was “in line with the ANC’s attempts to take the struggle out of the black ghettos and into the white areas”, and the target had actually been another bar frequented by off-duty apartheid security branch members.

Read more: Newsflash: Robert McBride arrested, appears in court

Referring to his other arrests, McBride said that in 2006, he was detained on a drunk driving allegation, over which he was found not guilty.

Nomvalo asked if any matter against him had been withdrawn. McBride confirmed that this had happened and that this matter involved a member of his family.

In 2017, it was reported that McBride had been accused of assaulting his daughter.

McBride appeared to bristle on Wednesday when Nomvalo asked him if the member of his family he was referring to was his child.

McBride hit back, saying Nomvalo should not be asking such a thing.

‘Mind your own business’

“You should mind your own business about my family. It’s my family. I’m just saying, watch it also,” McBride warned.

This angered MPs.

Ad hoc committee chair Soviet Lekganyane intervened, saying emotions should not influence the way individuals dealt with one another in the committee.

He told McBride he was respected and his contribution to South Africa’s liberation had not gone unnoticed.

“We don’t even doubt your loyalty to the republic,” Lekganyane said, adding that McBride was a senior member of society and could teach the committee.

This seemed to be Lekganyane’s polite way of admonishing McBride.

Once the situation had been smoothed over, McBride said the withdrawn case Nomvalo had asked him about had involved him admonishing his daughter after she “indulged in the temptations which all young people are faced with every day on the streets”.

The ad hoc committee is expected to resume on Thursday, when suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police chief Julius Mkhwanazi is expected to testify. DM