Chairperson, hon members and hon Ministers, today will go down in history as the day the ANC killed the Scorpions. Today will be remembered as the day the ANC stopped the best crime-fighting unit in the country dead in its tracks. [Applause.]
Most of us in this Chamber know that the real reason for doing this is simply because the Scorpions made it very uncomfortable for some prominent ANC members. The decision to disband the Scorpions was taken at Polokwane and as far as the parliamentary process was concerned - and I differ with the Minister - the Bills were rushed through, and even today the three-day rule was waived. [Interjections.]
We all know that the ANC wanted the Scorpions under the control of the SA Police Service, SAPS, and no matter what the facts were, from the outset it was a done deal.
Judge Sisi Khampepe, in her report, identified problems within the DSO, but concluded that the DSO must remain with the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA. Willie Hofmeyr, one of the most respected crime fighters in the country, told Parliament that the way the DSO did their investigations, and other side issues that harmed their image, had been sorted out a long time ago.
Senior counsel advised Parliament that what the ANC was doing to the DSO was unconstitutional and would be challenged in the Constitutional Court. The Institute for Democracy in South Africa, Idasa, agreed that the Bills were unconstitutional. [Interjections.] Yes, it is the truth. The committee, however, accepted the opinion of the State Law Adviser. Only time will tell who was right. Yet, with the facts pointing in one direction, the ANC chooses to disband the DSO. The Scorpions fearlessly hunted down fraud syndicates, convicted money- launderers, confiscated millions of rands worth of drugs, jailed Schabir Shaik and Tony Yengeni, investigated Selebi, Agliotti and Zuma and exposed Travelgate and the arms deal. They have done all this and more, yet the only recognition given was for the unit to be swallowed up by the SAPS.
The people of South Africa, burdened with a crime wave second to none in the world, are the real losers in this tragic saga. But, Chair, the voters are well informed and will take revenge when they get to the polls next year. [Interjections.]
Many of the members sitting in the ANC benches today will lose their seats and they will regret ... [Interjections.] They will regret this madness of today. Thank you. [Applause.]