The tense but brief standoff yesterday between members of the Presidential Protection Unit and the Scorpions during a raid on former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s houses highlights the continuing tension between the various law enforcement agencies in the country.

The presidential protection unit falls under the South African Police Service (SAPS) while the Scorpions are the investigating arm of the National Prosecuting Authority.

During yesterday’s raid, members of the Presidential Protection Unit ordered the Scorpions’ tactical support team — which accompanied Scorpions investigators during their raid on Zuma’s Johannesburg home — off the premises while the raid was being conducted.

Anton Du Plessis of the Institute for Security Studies said it was unfortunate the altercation occurred, given the already fraught relationship between the two agencies.

“The outcome of yesterday’s incident was exactly what the Scorpions wanted to avoid. It would have been better if they had explained the contents of the warrant to the SAPS, whose responsibility it was to ensure Zuma’s protection. That would have resolved the issue and ensured co-operation,” he said.

Instead, what happened appears to have fanned the flames of division, especially on the part of those who want the Scorpions incorporated into the SAPS instead of being allowed to operate on its own.

Du Plessis said he could understand why the Scorpions carried out the raids without alerting the SAPS.

“In a raid like the one we saw yesterday, you need the critical element of surprise. So I can understand why the Scorpions did not share their information with the SAPS, because the more people who were privy to the information, the greater the possibility for a leak,” he said.

Du Plessis said that because the probe into Zuma was a purely criminal matter, it was not necessary that the Scorpions inform the SAPS or the intelligence agencies of the raid.

“If you look at examples of joint operations, they all involve matters of national security such as the operation against the Boeremag or the urban terror situation in Western Cape.

“In these cases, information was shared between agencies such as the SAPS and the National Intelligence Agency. But in this case it really was not needed,” Du Plessis said.

The Scorpions have come under increasing criticism for the manner in which they pursue high-profile figures.

Senior African National Congress leaders such as Kgalema Motlanthe have complained about the “publicity-driven” style of the Scorpions.

With acknowledgements to Karima Brown and the Business Day.