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Zuma 'to be charged soon'
20/12/2007 11:45 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The ANC conference near Polokwane entered its final day Thursday with the news that party president Zacob Zuma is still under threat of prosecution.
Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe said on Thursday there was enough evidence to prosecute Zuma for corruption.
Speaking on talk radio 702, Mpshe said a final decision on when to take action against the newly elected ANC president was "imminent".
The corruption charges relate to Zuma's relationship with financial adviser and convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik.
AFP quoted Mpshe as saying: "The investigation is complete. All that we are doing now is to tie the loose ends.
"The investigation, with the evidence we have now, points to a case that can be taken to court."
Asked whether charges would be filed soon, Mpshe replied: "Yes, that's my impression."
Scorpions set to be disbanded
The Star reported on Thursday that the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) crime-busting unit, the Scorpions, would be disbanded and its investigators would find a new home in the SA Police Service by June next year.
The fate of the Scorpions emerged after the peace and stability commission agreed on this at the ANC's national conference on Wednesday.
However, its prosecutors would remain with the NPA and the justice department, the newspaper said.
The Star said Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula confirmed that the commission had met and that it had endorsed the ANC's June policy conference proposals.
"The commission has taken the decision to dissolve the Scorpions, but the conference ultimately decides," Nqakula said.
ANC has no say in future of Scorpions
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has accused the ANC of forgetting it "has no say" in the future of the Scorpions.
"The DA has read with deep regret the news today (Thursday) that the ANC at its Polokwane conference has decided that the elite Scorpions unit will be disbanded by June 2008.
"The ANC has however forgotten that they have no say in whether or not the Scorpions survive," DA spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement.
The NPA had been an extremely effective tool in the fight against crime, but "clearly committed the ultimate sin when they put Jacob Zuma and [Police Commissioner] Jackie Selebi in its sights".
"It has announced that it has enough evidence to prosecute Zuma which must have prompted the ANC to call for this unit to be closed down.
"If this decision is actually carried through, it will be the latest in a series of moves to centralise power."
Closing down the unit would be a step backwards for the rule of law in South Africa.
The ANC should not forget that the eyes of the world were on the Polokwane conference, and populist decisions, like the one on the Scorpions, would reflect very badly on the country, Kohler-Barnard said.
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