Chair, on the 19 November 2006 I asked the then Minister of Safety and Security how it was that everyone in this country was talking about the close relationship between the former Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, and the Kebble murder suspect Glenn Agliotti and what his response was.
That relationship was dominating news headlines at the time, but the ANC National Executive Committee seemingly believed that the problem would just go away if they ignored it for long enough. They missed an ideal opportunity to prove the ANC's commitment to the fight against crime and chose not to discuss the Selebi-Agliotti friendship.
What I said then was that Commissioner Selebi should not remain in office while the investigation into Agliotti and the murder of Brett Kebble continued, and that it was totally improper for him to keep his position until the Scorpion's investigation had been wrapped up. I said that an objective investigation would be extremely difficult while Selebi was still in the driving seat. It was obvious then, as it is now, that the person tasked with leading the fight against crime should be above reproach when it comes to the people he or she associates with.
The President and the Minister of Safety and Security ignored me then, as they did the extensive in-depth reports by our free media on the matter. They could not ignore the Scorpions, who, against the greatest odds, have won probably the last great case in court, resulting in Selebi receiving a 15-year jail sentence. Thanks to the ANC, we no longer have a unit that would necessarily have investigated a crooked National Commissioner. The Hawks is the National Police Commissioner's hand puppet and would never, ever, as I said on that dismal day, 30th of January last year when the ANC shut down the Scorpions, contemplate such an investigation, now would they? [Applause.]