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Feb 13 2008

S Africa to shut anti-crime agency

Global

By Agencies

Mbeki had been a defender of the FBI-style organisation of the crime-fighting Scorpions [EPA]

South Africa's elite crime-fighting unit, the Scorpions, is to be disbanded in what comes as a blow to Thabo Mbeki, the country's president, who defended the FBI-style organisation.

Charles Nqakula, South Africa's safety and security minister, told parliament on Tuesday that the organisation would be dissolved and a new unit set up.

"The Scorpions ... will be dissolved and the organised crime unit of the police will be phased out and a new amalgamated unit will be created," he said.

The Scorpions have waged a bitter turf war with the police.

They have been accused of using their power to settle political scores, most notably in the case of Jacob Zuma, the African National Congress leader (ANC), who has been charged with corruption.

The Scorpions, who were established by Mbeki in 1999 to fight high-profile corruption cases, are not part of the police and report to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The NPA answers to South Africa's justice department.

'Political tool'

In 2005 the Scorpions raided properties belonging to Zuma and his lawyer as part of a corruption inquiry against him.

The action prompted the pro-Zuma wing of the ruling party to brand the unit a political tool of Mbeki and push for it to be incorporated into the police.

The ANC passed a resolution to do so in December after overwhelmingly electing Zuma as leader in a two-man contest with Mbeki.

Mbeki had tried to fight to keep the Scorpions intact.

In 2004 the Scorpions arrested Mark Thatcher, the son of Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, in connection with a plot to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.