Corruption Watch says the re-introduction of a “Scorpions like” anti corruption unit, is just what South Africa needs to root out corrupt officials.
On Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement of the unit in his State of the Nation Address.
The country’s former elite crime-fighting unit “The Scorpions” was dissolved after the ANC accused it of abusing their power in political cases.
Executive Director of Corruption Watch, David Lewis says this is an essential and important step.
“Part of the reason the Scorpions were successful was the fact that their investigations were prosecution led investigations, and we are delighted that he has taken that opportunity. This is precisely what we needed as far as we are concerned.”
Meanwhile, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says the new anti-corruption unit will only be successful if it acquires all the necessary experts and resources. The unit will investigate evidence emerging out of the State of Capture Inquiry and other commissions. It will be located within the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
Head of Justice and Violence Prevention at the ISS, Gareth Newham says, “It has a good chance of really being successful if it gets the necessary resources. I think one of the benefits of such a unit that the police and Hawks don’t have, is that it would be able to, probably far easier, second private resources like private investigators, chartered accountants, forensic accountants – people who can really track where money that has been stolen from the state through corrupt practices has ended up.
