The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has clarified that claims made by forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan regarding his alleged financial involvement in the organisation’s legal efforts to support former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride are inaccurate.
The Foundation said O’Sullivan’s comments, made during an online interview with journalist Alec Hogg on October 12, 2025, were “an unfortunate mischaracterisation.”
O’Sullivan had claimed that he had “funded” the Foundation with a substantial amount of money to overturn McBride’s suspension as IPID Executive Director.
HSF said it had acted as amicus curiae in McBride’s 2015 case against the Minister of Police in the North Gauteng High Court, as well as in the subsequent Constitutional Court appeal in 2016.
The Foundation explained that its legal representatives, Webber Wentzel, handled the matter on a pro bono basis, as did senior counsel.
“In the course of this public interest matter, Mr O’Sullivan, on behalf of Forensics for Justice, did engage in consultations with us along with Webber Wentzel’s pro bono department,” the Foundation said.
The organisation further clarified that in 2019, it again acted as amicus curiae in McBride’s urgent application in the North Gauteng High Court, which concerned the non-renewal of his contract as IPID Executive Director.
However, the Foundation said it “did not engage with Mr O’Sullivan during the course of this second matter.”
It added that its legal representatives in the 2019 case, Webber Wentzel and senior counsel, also acted on a pro bono basis.
HSF later appealed the case in the Supreme Court of Appeal, arguing that the process of renewing McBride’s contract “lacked procedural integrity” and that the settlement reached in the High Court “indirectly permitted executive influence over the renewal of the IPID Executive Director, compromising the independence of IPID.”
The Foundation confirmed that O’Sullivan had made a once-off donation of R100,000 to the organisation in 2019, but stressed that the contribution was not linked to any specific case.
“As Mr O’Sullivan’s donation was general in nature and not linked to any specific case, it was utilised by us in our core operations,” it said.
“HSF’s involvement in the McBride matters was guided solely by our mission to advance constitutionalism and to safeguard the independence of key state institutions. In furthering our mission we are committed never to compromise on our independence, such that we are able to effect our work without fear or favour.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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