Scorpions officially no more

2008-11-20 15:56

Michael Hamlyn

Cape Town - The bills which amalgamate the Scorpions into the police were given a last and final farewell in the National Assembly on Thursday, when they were dispatched, as amended by the National Council of Provinces to the president for signature into law.

Opposition parties gave a final cry of protest in Afrikaans, Zulu and English.

The National Prosecuting Authority Bill passed by 210 votes to 55.

"Cha!" (No!), said Velaphi Ndlovu for the Inkatha Freedom Party. The irrepressible Dianne Kohler-Barnard for the Democratic Alliance warned that crime fighters around the world would be appalled by the decision to get rid of the most effective group fighting organised crime and corruption in South Africa.

She also warned the house that investors would take the decision as a sign that South Africa was not serious about tackling crime.

Steven Swart for the African Christian Democratic Party pointed out that Justice Sisi Khampepe who recommended in her commission of inquiry report that it would be inconceivable -"that is, unimaginable, my friends," he said - for the legislature to disband the Scorpions.

Kohler-Barnard also pointed out that the secretary general of the ANC Gwede Mantashe said recently that one thing the Scorpions and the DA have in common is their hatred of the ANC, which she said, was a dead giveaway of why the ANC is getting rid of the Scorpions.

"Time is out," said Maggie Sotyu, the chair of the safety and security committee. "We are going to pass these bills."

But it did not happen before MPs engaged in some more verbal scrapping.

The deputy justice minister Johnny de Lange was heard calling Kohler-Barnard a liar, when she said that the constitution allowed the Scorpions to gather intelligence.

He attempted to defend himself, saying that she was palpably wrong, but eventually withdrew his remark. Before he did so, however he accused the deputy chief whip of the DA Mike Ellis who was pressing the unparliamentary nature of his remark, of having lunched altogether too well.

Finally the South African Police Service Amendment bill, which completed the process was passed by 213 votes to 55. There were no abstentions.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)