In January, two and half years ago, Adv Gerrie Nel who, at the time, was head of the Scorpions in Gauteng, was arrested in exactly the same manner as the Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi Wa Afrika was arrested just one month ago.
In the first instance it was to protect the now disgraced ex-National Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi. Then it took 20 armed police officers to serve the warrant of arrest on Adv Nel. It took the same number to swoop on Mr Wa Afrika, an unarmed journalist. Adv Nel was driven around all night in an attempt to intimidate him and his cellphone was taken. Mr Wa Afrika was driven around, and despite many of us searching throughout the night, we were unable to locate him as we faced what seemed to be deliberate obstruction on the part of the Hawks. His cellphone was also taken.
Mr Wa Afrika was one of the authors of a story published just two days before about the dodgy rental of new police headquarters. Minister, the arrest of this journalist, in many eyes, has negated gains we made during the Fifa World Cup. Would you explain who exactly was behind the extraordinary arrest and assure this House that this jackboot intimidatory policing is not making a comeback in this country? [Time expired.]