Thank you, Speaker. The ruling of the Constitutional Court last week on the application brought by businessman Hugh Glenister against the disbandment of the Scorpions is a vindication of the DA's deep and long-standing concerns over the disbandment of the unit. The decision to disband the Scorpions has had an impact on the political independence of prosecution processes and was preceded by a flawed parliamentary process.
The Scorpions were enormously successful in their mandate of fighting crime and corruption. They achieved an unprecedented 94% conviction rate. There was no good reason for this unit to be disbanded, but it became clear that the ANC government, and particularly President Zuma's followers, considered the Scorpions' effectiveness to be a profound threat. [Interjections.]
The decision by the ANC to disband the Scorpions, which the DA opposed in this House, was political. It was a move designed to shut down investigations into ANC politicians. It was one of the most abhorrent decisions this post-1994 Parliament has made.
The Hawks, an SAPS unit that they claim has replaced the Scorpions, do not have the same power or independence as the Scorpions did, and certainly not the same kind of results. The DA has documented why this is the case - and that a lack of political independence, adequate resources and the necessary logistical expertise is apparent. The Constitutional Court said:
The main reason for this conclusion is that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation is insufficiently insulated from political influence in its structure and functioning, and also the ... [Time expired.]