VOA常速英语2008年-South Africa's ANC Targets Serious Crime Fighti

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
06 February 2008

In its first major initiative under the leadership of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's ruling African National Congress has ordered the government of President Thabo Mbeki to dismantle¹ the country's highly successful organized crime fighting unit, the Directorate of Special Operations, or Scorpions².  Zuma and other high-profile individuals are facing trials this year as a consequence of investigations⁴ carried out by the Scorpions. In Johannesburg VOA's Delia Robertson takes a closer look at the Scorpions, the work they have done, and what the future may hold for South Africa without them.

The Scorpions was formed in January 2001, 16 months after President Mbeki promised the national legislature that the government would set up a squad⁵ to fight so-called priority crimes. Peter Gastrow, of the independent Institute for Security Studies says there was growing exasperation⁶ in the country at police failures in addressing a rising crime wave.

"One of the categories of crime which the police felt inadequate⁷ to address and which they didn't really understand, was a relative new category for South Africa, namely sophisticated organized crime, particularly trans-border and trans-national organized crime," said Gastrow.

The Scorpions were placed under the authority of the National Prosecuting⁸ Authority or NPA, a constitutionally-mandated body within the Department of Justice.

Early on, Scorpions recruits received intensive training from experienced foreign organizations such as Scotland Yard and the U.S. Federal Bureau for Investigation³.

By South African policing standards, the conviction rate on cases investigated by the Scorpions appears spectacular, 95 percent in the 12-month period ending June 2007, with a similar record in previous years.

But analysts¹¹ say the performance of the unit is difficult to compare with other policing units.

"They have bust¹² and successfully prosecuted¹³ very, very complex cases emerging from the business sectors¹⁴, political leaders, government officials; successful prosecutions¹⁶ which conventional police investigation I don't believe would have been able to solve," he added. "So in short, the overall risk for sophisticated organized crime has risen as a result of their interventions¹⁷."

Despite their success, the unit has been surrounded by controversy¹⁸.

Police officers, supported by their trade union, objected to the better salaries, training and working conditions than those received by ordinary police officers

And it was not too long before the unit was accused of being an agent of the apartheid government as well as a tool by President Mbeki to settle political scores.

A 2004 commission, headed by a retired¹⁹ judge, found the allegations of its connections with the apartheid government without merit. But, the allegations of the squad being used for political influence came to a head when it became clear that the Scorpions were investigating Jacob Zuma, who, at the time, was deputy president of the country. Zuma was fired from this post in 2005 after his legal advisor²⁰ was convicted on charges of corruption²¹ which implicated²² him.

Shadrack Gutto, a constitutional and legal expert at the University of South Africa, says that despite the litany of such allegations about the Scorpions, none were ever proven.

"These remain unproven allegations, the mere²³ fact that they are being shouted and repeated often does not turn them into facts or truth," said Gutto. "And indeed if somebody has such evidence and there is a matter before the court, then they should and they could have brought this already."

While many analysts note that the Scorpions are not without fault, Gastrow is one of many South Africans who say problems within the squad can be solved.

"But the question arises does that warrant the destruction of an institution; should one not rather see or explore the possibility of fixing it," said Gastrow. "I think it an important point, in any institution, obviously these things happen, far more serious incidents happen; they are then debated, discussed and one tries to fix it, rather than demolish²⁴ and take the destructive course of doing away with it, without putting anything in its place."

The ANC's determination to get rid of the Scorpions has angered many South Africans who see it as an attempt to protect senior members of the new ANC leadership, including Jacob Zuma. Analyst¹⁰ Gutto agrees with this perception.

"Personally I do believe that there is good reason to suspect that the vigorous attempt to remove this is informed more, not by the fact of lack of lines of accountability, and so on; but rather in an attempt to remove the sting as it were and put it within the police force," continued Gutto. "And if this were to be done, it will send a very, very serious message out there to organized criminals that they have a field day , and impunity²⁵ is also going to reign⁹ where particular important public figures may be protected against prosecution¹⁵."

Opposition²⁶ parties have warned they will do everything they can to prevent the dissolution of the Scorpions. Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Movement, says his party is seeking to challenge the Scorpions' dissolution in the Constitutional Court.

"If they [the ANC] use their two-thirds majority to bull-doze this decision, then the UDM will be left with no other option but to seek a legal remedy. But the legal opinion which we are also seeking is whether we can not challenge this process before they come up with the amendment²⁷ [to the law which founded the unit]. If we feel right now the rights of the citizen are being tampered²⁸ with, there is nothing stopping us in filing an urgent application," he said.

The African National Congress says it is merely trying the align²⁹ law enforcement agencies with the constitution which calls for a single police force. But constitutional lawyers argue that provision was originally intended to bring several apartheid-era police agencies under one roof. They add the constitution also includes a clause which allows the government to establish additional law enforcement agencies.

President Thabo Mbeki has not publicly commented on his party's demand except to say that he will act in accordance with the constitution.

1 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

2 scorpions   

n.蝎子( scorpion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You promise me that Black Scorpions will never come back to Lanzhou. 你保证黑蝎子永远不再踏上兰州的土地。 来自电影对白
• You Scorpions are rather secretive about your likes and dislikes. 天蝎：蝎子是如此的神秘，你的喜好很难被别人洞悉。 来自互联网

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

6 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

7 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

8 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

9 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

13 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

14 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

16 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

17 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

18 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

19 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

20 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

24 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

25 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

26 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

27 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

28 tampered   

v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• The records of the meeting had been tampered with. 会议记录已被人擅自改动。 来自辞典例句
• The old man's will has been tampered with. 老人的遗嘱已被窜改。 来自辞典例句

29 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。