Nqakula 'undermined authority'
12/02/2008 19:03  - (SA)  

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Cape Town - It was very arrogant for Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula to undermine Parliament's authority by announcing the Scorpions' dissolution, Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday.

Speaking in the National Assembly during a debate on President Thabo Mbeki's State Of The Nation address, she said the Scorpions had been established by an Act of Parliament.

"And the procedures must start here in Parliament. Not for the executive to announce the dissolution of the Scorpions," she said.

Also, if Mbeki had acted earlier concerning National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, instead of uttering the phrase "I trust you", the country would have been in a much stronger position in the fight against crime, De Lille said.