The recent investigations by the Scorpions involving Deputy President Jacob Zuma, former transport minister Mac Maharaj and businessman Schabir Shaik has triggered questions regarding the necessity for the unit as well as the scope of its activities.

The answer to this question requires an inquiry into the purpose of the unit's establishment in the first place.

The advent of democracy in the country in 1994 brought with it a constitution that drastically affected the method of policing. It required expensive new procedures to acquire evidence for successful prosecutions.

The period between 1996 and the end of about 1998 saw the criminal justice system resemble a funnel through which a number of criminal suspects would be arrested by the police, only to come out scot-free in the courts.

In most cases, presiding judicial officers would cite, as reasons for the massive releases, the lack of evidence to prosecute as well as the flouting of constitutional fundamental rights of suspects during arrests.

The evolution in policing brought by the constitution as well as the emergence of professional organised crime needed specialised knowledge to deal with it. The police, given the background nature of their job and educational level, were definitely not the right people for the challenge.

There was indeed a need for a short-term solution to this problem, hence the creation of the Scorpions.

The constitution of the country provides that there is only one policing institution in the country, which is the SAPS.

With regard to the main question, yes, it was necessary as a short-term solution that the Scorpions be created. However, the unit was not meant to be permanent. It ought to have been established on a temporary basis, while at the same time rearranging the police training curriculum so that the police are adequately empowered educationally in accordance with the needs of the new developments affecting all spheres of policing.

Until such time as police have been trained accordingly, a specialised unit would be created in the police to absorb the Scorpions.

As of now, the necessity for the Scorpions still stands.

With acknowledgements to Joseph J Mhlongo and the City Press.