JOHANNESBURG: President Thabo Mbeki, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla and Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula will fight a businessman's bid to stop the disbanding of the Scorpions.

But they have yet to indicate whether their opposition to Hugh Glenister's Pretoria High Court challenge will include their reasons why the crime-fighting unit should be disbanded - or will simply be a technical attempt to undermine Glenister's right to bring the case.

It also remains unclear whether Mbeki will respond to detailed claims, made under oath and as part of Glenister's application by arms deal dissident and former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein, that he was implicated in corruption linked to government's controversial multibillion rand arms deal and deliberately obstructed an investigation into the deal.

Feinstein also revealed that he had been told that kickbacks from the arms deal were used to fund ANC election campaigns.

On March 17, IT businessman and self-described "concerned citizen" Glenister launched an application to stop Parliament from initiating legislation that would allow government to disband the Scorpions.

He argues that the decision to disband the Scorpions was not "rationally connected to a legitimate governmental purpose".

"Any legislation that results in an effective crime-fighting unit (such as the Directorate of Special Operations) being disbanded constitutes, in my opinion, a substantial and direct threat to the survival and growth of the economy and hence a direct and substantial threat to my interests as a businessman."

Glenister's legal team - which consists of respected advocates David Unterhalter and Alfred Cockrell - will attempt to use the growing numbers of signatures on his petition to save the Scorpions, as well as responses on his SMS line, as evidence of the public's interest in saving the unit.

The petition can be found at www.mypetition.co.za.

Glenister's application will be heard on May 6 - the second day of the Ginwala Commission, in which the fitness to hold office of suspended National Prosecuting Authority boss Vusi Pikoli will be determined.

Pikoli argues he was axed because he refused to halt the Scorpions' corruption investigation against National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.

Both the NPA and Scorpions have indicated that they will not get involved in Glenister's application and will abide by whatever decision the high court reaches.

The Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces have yet to respond to Glenister's application - despite having to do so by March 27.