Johannesburg - South Africa's Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula on Tuesday announced plans to disband an elite FBI- style crime-fighting unit called the Scorpions, whose investigations led to the indictment of several senior figures for corruption. Ruling African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma and National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi face trial this year for charges, including corruption, in separate cases emanating from Scorpions investigations.
The move to dissolve the Scorpions had been expected after the ANC in January called for the unit to be dismantled by June. Opposition parties have vigorously opposed the move as a blow to the fight against corruption.
The Scorpions were established in 1998 as the investigative arm of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which is tasked with fighting organized crime.
The NPA answers to the justice ministry rather than the safety and security ministry, which oversees the regular South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Scorpions and the organized crime unit of the SAPS are to be disbanded to form a "reconstructed" police unit as part of an overhaul of the criminal justice system, Nqakula told parliament.
Critics have questioned the urgency shown by the new ANC leadership on the Scorpions issue given the other pressing issues facing the country, including high violent crime rates and a HIV-AIDS pandemic.
The ANC has accused the NPA and the Scorpions of politically- motivated investigations.
