Africa-Press – South-Africa. The second coming of the Scorpions is one step closer to reality after Cabinet approved the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill last week.
In October 2022, when President Cyril Ramaphosa tabled his “implementation plan” in response to the Zondo Commission’s report, he announced that the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate (ID) would be made a permanent body with powers similar to those of the disbanded Scorpions.
About 10 months later, the Bill to effect this was approved by Cabinet at its meeting last week.
“Cabinet approved the submission of the draft NPA Amendment Bill of 2023 to Parliament. The Bill amends the NPA Act, 1998 (Act 32 of 1998) to provide for the establishment of the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity within the NPA and to also strengthen its investigative powers,” reads Cabinet’s statement.
The Bill is expected to be published later this week, the explanatory summary has been published.
Ramaphosa established the ID in March 2019, specifically to investigate corruption-related crimes unearthed by the Zondo Commission, and the commissions into the South African Revenue Service and Public Investigation Corporation.
It was intended as a temporary measure at the time.
The ID appears to be similar to the Scorpions (also known as the Directorate of Special Operations), which was an anti-corruption unit housed in the NPA, where prosecutors worked alongside investigators and forensic experts as part of a single unit.
Its disbandment was a key part of the manifesto of corruption-accused former president Jacob Zuma, who was elected ANC president in 2007.
In 2008, the ANC saw to it that Parliament disbanded it, despite an outcry from opposition parties and civil society.
The return of a Scorpions-like body was first mooted in mid-2020.
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