Rivaan Roopnarain, News24 User
Sinister may well be the word one uses to describe the torrid state of affairs surrounding the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions).
It is sinister when, even in the face of vocal public opposition, a Parliament bullishly forces through a piece of legislation with little concern for public sentiment.
When one considers that the particular piece of legislation in question is for the disbandment of possibly the only effectively functioning arm of law in the country, then to describe the situation as sinister even, becomes a worrying understatement.
Discussions concerning the matter of the Scorpions have been done to death in the months preceding us today - public platforms where used loudly, the letters' pages of newspapers were strewn with angry tirades by concerned members of the public - all in strong, vociferous opposition of this farcical disbandment.
Yet, when we look back now, they all amounted to a lot of noise, a great many flared tempers, one man's solitary crusade to the courts, and well, very little else.
Neglect
The issue around the Scorpions does well to highlight many far more critical problems that are manifest in our society.
Perhaps the greatest of those is the sheer neglect of our legislative authorities to take into account the fundamental considerations of the mass public, and, to bow so gracefully at the feet of political clout.
How, in the name of all things sensible, can it ever be plausible to allow those individuals investigated by the very body proposed to be done away with, to vote on its fate?
Does such a thing as "conflict of interest" and ethics no longer feature in the corridors of our Parliament? Are ethical considerations akin to an annoying mosquito to the ears of our politicians?
Even when these public discussions were at their most vocal, some indicated that "we can make all the noise we want, but when those in decision-making power want something, they will get it!"
And off course, as the proposed Bill now waits readily at President Kgalema Motlanthe's mahogany desk to be signed, those who said that are proved correct.
Failure
Many will interpret this passage of legislation as a failure; failure of the will of the people, and therefore, failure of our democracy - and rightfully so.
It is a failure.
It is a failure on our part, as citizens of the Republic, to allow ourselves to be so thuggishly manhandled so as to accept those things that can never be in the public interest. It is a failure on our part to allow political masters to dictate as to what exactly is, "in the public interest."
We could have, and should have, done more - if nothing else, to reach consensus.
There may well be many more similar dilemmas that we will experience in the near future. But if we have learned nothing else from this debacle, surely we can pledge that we won't allow ourselves, and our will, to be so callously infringed upon by a sitting of MP's, all of whom, with questionable characters.
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