Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille on Monday again asked African National Congress president Jacob Zuma for a meeting to discuss the Scorpions’ future.
”In a press interview published on the weekend, Jacob Zuma declared that he is willing to ‘debate anything’ — even the future of the Scorpions.
”I have accordingly written to Mr Zuma today [Monday] to again request a meeting with him to discuss the ANC’s plans to disband the unit,” she said in a statement.
Zille said it had been nearly four months since the ANC resolved to disband the elite crime fighting unit, but the party had yet to make a clear case as to why the unit’s disbandment would be in the public interest.
”In the absence of any clear and solid reason for disbanding the Scorpions, the public have quite rightly surmised that the move is designed to protect ANC heavyweights from prosecution.
”I sincerely hope that Mr Zuma, as a possible future head of state, will put his obvious personal anathema to the Scorpions aside and agree to meet with me so that we can rationally discuss the case for and against the Scorpions,” Zille said.
Zille said she wanted to know, among other things, how the incorporation of the Scorpions into the police could improve the Scorpion’s 90% conviction rate, when the police’s own conviction rate stood at about 10%.
Zille also wanted to ascertain what Zuma envisaged happening to cases the Scorpions were currently investigating when the unit was incorporated into the South African Police Service.
She said she had first written to Zuma on February 15 to request a meeting to discuss the matter.
His office acknowledged the letter, but he had not yet responded to her request.
”I hope that, in light of the spirit of openness that Mr Zuma expressed in Sunday’s press report, he will be willing to meet with me for a full and frank discussion on the future of the Scorpions.
”If he does not, it will indicate once again that he cannot be taken at his word.
”If he is really ready to debate and discuss any issue, then he must ‘walk the walk’ and meet with me as soon as possible,” Zille said. – Sapa