Madam Speaker and hon members, the Bills before us are the products of the ANC's December resolution to disband the Scorpions. This resolution was motivated by a dubious political agenda. A barrage of lies and distortions were uttered about the DSO, before and after Polokwane, to justify this unwarranted and dangerous attack upon one of the few working crime-fighting and corruption-busting institutions. It seems that the campaign to elevate one person to the highest office in the ANC and in the land will proceed, no matter what the cost.
This entire parliamentary process has been an ill-disguised sham. The Minister of Safety and Security announced the decision as a fait accompli. Later, the chairperson of the joint committee said the outcome was preordained. The public hearings were a travesty, with orchestrated ANC submissions and bussed in hooligans who shouted down any person who disagreed with them.
The ANC is pushing to dismantle a viable institution in order to create a clumsy ill-conceived replacement which is located in an organisation that is riddled with corruption and mismanagement. If there are MPs in the ANC with a shred of conscience, today is the day they can demonstrate that. It does not matter whether you think your vote alone will change anything. Do the honourable thing as an hon member. Simply do what is right and abstain. If you intend campaigning in the forthcoming elections on a ticket of respect for the rule of law and democracy, then you cannot vote in support of these despicable Bills and the profoundly undemocratic agenda.
The UDM does not support the Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]