01 Jun 2008: Editorial

EDITORIAL

Published in Crime Quarterly No 24 June 2008

Dear Readers

The wisdom of the ANC’s decision to dissolve the Directorate of Special Operations (more commonly known as the Scorpions) has been the subject of intense debate in the South African media since December 2007. Opposition parties have voiced their outrage, while NGOs, academics and ‘experts’ have held countless discussions and seminars to consider the motivations and implications of the move. The debate seemed to reach fever pitch when two Bills were brought before parliament in May 2008 that would pave the way for the closure of the unit and the apparent incorporation of its work and staff in the South African Police Service.  We felt it was time for SACQ to weigh in on the matter and to provide another forum for the debate.

This edition of the Crime Quarterly thus focuses almost exclusively on the matter of the Scorpions. Unlike most other editions of the journal we have made space for several opinion pieces. Moe Shaik, formerly Deputy Intelligence Coordinator of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee presents the ANC’s reasons for seeking the disbanding of the Scorpions, including that the Scorpions have ‘entrenched a system of patronage’ through targeted and politically motivated prosecutions, and have collected intelligence without having to be accountable to the same oversight bodies as other branches of the security forces. David Bruce counters this argument, presenting a case that dissolving the unit will create the space for more political meddling in affairs of justice, rather than reducing it. Gail Wannenburg and Anthony Minnaar draw on their experiences, providing reasons why the investigative style of the Scorpions was successful, and pointing out what will be lost when the SAPS takes sole responsibility for investigating crimes committed by organised criminals. For posterity we have also included a summary of the Khampepe report prepared by the ISS’s Andrew Kanyegirire.

We end this edition with a report by Johan Burger and Cyril Adonis on the findings of research into the constraints faced by the ICD  - a timely contribution that adds to concern about the effectiveness of police oversight, particularly in the light of the dissolution of the Scorpions.

Chandré Gould
(Editor)