Johannesburg - The Institute of Security Studies (ISS) and Transparency International (TI) on Monday issued a stern warning against shifting the Scorpions to the police force, claiming it would spell the end of the elite investigative unit and it would be a giant blow to the fight against corruption.

It would also damage public morale and it would be seen as a political move to side step the Scorpions, read a strongly worded report issued by the ISS and TI on Monday - on the eve of the second national anti-corruption conference in Pretoria.

Apart from their recommendations on the continuation of the Scorpions in their current form, the report also found that "unbelievable progress" has been made against fighting corruption in the ten years since the end of apartheid but that the implementation of anti-corruption policies in South Africa were still wanting.

The report comes only days after President Thabo Mbeki suggested to judge Sisi Khampape that the future of the Scorpions needs to be investigated.

"The Scorpions has an impressive prosecution record and on average 90% of their prosecutions end in convictions," read the report.

This elite investigative unit of the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) has a "young, motivated" work force of 500 people of which many are university graduates.

According to the report, it would be cynical to write the Scorpions off as "elite fighters of crime who know how to spin a good story".

Political pressure, a lack of skills, constitutional arguments and their relationship with other agencies has been identified as the Scorpions' biggest stumbling block.

"The Scorpions, which came about during Mbeki's term, has always had the support of the president. This support is however, not universal," read the report.

Criticism that the constitution only makes provision for a "single police service" is according to the report, not reason enough to change the Scorpions' present format.

The constitution also makes provision for the establishment of armed bodies through legislation and there is no reason why only the police can carry out investigative work.

With acknowledgements to Adriaan Basson and the Beeld.