The Bill is intended to restructure the Hawks to bring their capabilities in line with the Constitutional Court’s Glenister judgment. The Glenister judgment found that the South African government has a constitutional obligation to fight corruption, and that to do so it must establish a unit with independence from political interference, both structurally and operationally.
Tomorrow the Helen Suzman Foundation will argue that the SAPS Amendment Bill is inadequate in its current form, and that in fact no unit housed in the South African Police Service can achieve a high enough level of independence to meet the standards set by the Court in Glenister.
True freedom to act without fear or favour would require independence from the financial and operational oversight of the National Commissioner of Police, violating the constitutional imperative of command and control of the entire SAPS by the National Commissioner that Section 207 of our Constitution requires.
Our presentation will be open to the public, and we would welcome your presence and support.
Time: 10.00am, Wednesday 25 April 2012
Place: Good Hope Chamber, Parliament, Cape Town
24 April 2012
