The African National Congress (ANC) has called on South Africans to ”rally behind” the new proposed South African Police Service (SAPS) directorate that will replace the Scorpions.
In a statement on Friday, the ruling party welcomed the passing of two Bills in the National Assembly the day before, which will see the Directorate of Special Operations, popularly known as the Scorpions, replaced by an SAPS crime-investigation directorate.
”The ANC would like to assure South Africans that the amended Bills are the beginning of a long process to out-root crime and corruption.
”Having a united police force will ensure proper coordination and management to deal with organised crime.
”The ANC calls upon all South Africans to rally behind the new proposed police service and ensure that criminals find it unbearable to commit crime in South Africa,” it said.
The demise of the Scorpions drew closer on Thursday when legislation to disband the unit was approved in the National Assembly amid vehement opposition.
Koos van der Merwe of the Inkatha Freedom Party said ”the murder of the Scorpions” was reckless political expediency to protect ANC leaders and members from criminal investigation and possible prosecution.
”The decision is the result of a Communist takeover of the ANC at [its] Polokwane conference,” he said.
”The communist takeover is switching on many red lights for the future of this country and especially for democracy.”
The ANC wanted the Assembly to rubberstamp the ANC’s Polokwane conference decision and ignore the merits and outstanding successes of the Scorpions. This had been crystal clear right from the start, Van der Merwe said.
”It is also clear after Polokwane who now really governs South Africa — the South African Communist Party.”
The Democratic Alliance’s Dianne Kohler-Barnard reminded the House that the Khampepe Commission, under Judge Sisi Khampepe, had ”told Parliament to keep the DSO under the NPA”.
”The Cabinet endorsed that report and its recommendations in June 2006,” she said.
”But when the reality of that ruling became apparent, the country then learned to its horror that when reality doesn’t suit the ANC, it thinks it can overrule a judge.”
She predicted that the Scorpions advocates, forensic auditors and specialist investigators — none of whom ever wished to be in the police — would not join the new SAPS unit.
”Law-enforcement agencies all over the world are utterly delighted that these experts are on the market and will no doubt snap them up,” she said.
‘A barrage of lies and distortions’
Jackson Bici of the United Democratic Movement agreed the Bills were a product of the ANC’s Polokwane conference, ”motivated by a dubious political agenda”.
”A barrage of lies and distortions were uttered about the DSO before and after Polokwane to justify this unwarranted and dangerous attack upon one of the few working crime-fighting and corruption-busting institutions,” he said.
”It seems that the campaign to elevate one person to the highest office in the ANC and the land will proceed no matter what the cost. This entire parliamentary process has been an ill-disguised sham.”
Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa disagreed, saying: ”We must commend the profoundly democratic manner in which the Bills on this matter have been processed.”
People from all walks of life had an opportunity to have their say.
”The vibrant discussion on the Bills has enriched our understanding of the challenges we face,” he said.
The Bills would take the fight against organised crime to higher levels, the minister said.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Enver Surty also dismissed the criticism. He cited Chief Justice Pius Langa’s ruling in the Constitutional Court on Wednesday that ”there is nothing wrong, in our multiparty democracy, with Cabinet seeking to give effect to the policy of the ruling party”.
Surty said he believed Cabinet and Parliament had also fully observed their constitutional obligations.
Kohler-Barnard’s DA colleague, Tertius Delport, proposed amendments that would create a unit called the South African Bureau for Investigations.
It would be placed in the Safety and Security Ministry, but the head of the bureau would be appointed by the president upon the recommendation of Parliament.
This was rejected and the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill and South African Police Amendment Bill adopted.
The Bills now go to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. – Sapa