Another set of public hearings, this time into the the possible replacement of the Directorate of Special Operations, known as the Scorpions, with a new division within the South African Police Service (SAPS), known as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, has fully unearthed the farce the ruling party calls consultation with the public. 

It is obvious by now that the ANC is prepared to accept the will of the people only when it happens to coincide with its own policy proposals.

When it does not, as in the case of the proposed incorporation of Matatiele into the Eastern Cape, the will of the people is simply ignored.

The most worrying part about the drive to dissolve the Scorpions is that the government is hell-bent on destroying institutions that clearly deliver as much as it is determined to hold on to policies and individuals that do not. This is a self-defeating philosophy that can only produce non-performance at worst and mediocrity at best, both of which have come to characterise South Africa's overblown public sector. 

In their current form, the Scorpions have had a successful conviction rate in the region of 80% to 90%. The combination of skills such as intelligence gathering and criminal investigators and prosecutors working in one team has proven immensely successful. 

There is no doubt that retaining the Scorpions would breathe a new life into the KwaZulu Natal provincial government's commitment to root out corruption in its own ranks, particularly in the departments of Agriculture and Health where graft is rampant and so far has gone largely unpunished. A dedicated investigating unit would not only help get convictions but act as a deterrent to corrupt individuals. 

In a truly democratic society, the government listens to the people. The fact that the ANC does not, casts a long shadow over its own democratic credentials.

Dr Lionel Mtshali

Leader of the Official Opposition

Contact: Dr Lionel Mtshali, 083 256 4902