The African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday the Khampepe report highlighted many of its concerns about the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), which led to its resolution to have the unit moved to the police.
”That report raises the same concerns we are raising, which led to the raising of the ANC resolution,” said the party’s secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, referring to their call that the Scorpions be moved under the authority of the Safety and Security Ministry from the current Justice Ministry.
The issues raised included overlapping functions between the DSO and the police, coordination on priority crimes and intelligence gathering.
”This report should not be seen as an end. It should be seen as a very important contribution to the debate.”
President Thabo Mbeki appointed the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry in 2006 to investigate the mandate and location of the DSO.
Judge Sisi Khampepe supported the continued existence of the DSO, but under the two ministries, instead of the current one.
She also had harsh words for the both the police and Scorpions for not working closely together and expressed concern for state security when she was told that not all Scorpions members had been cleared by the National Intelligence Agency. — Sapa