Cape Town - President Kgalema Motlanthe has approved the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill, 2008 and the South African Police Service Amendment Bill, 2008.
The two bills passed by the National Assembly in October last year, is expected to strengthen the investigative capacity of the police in relation to organised and serious crime.
Under the new legislation the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), or Scorpions as it is known, will be dissolved and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) will be established under the South African Police Services.
This new directorate will handle the outstanding cases under investigation by the Scorpions.
The Bill will also provide for the relocation of special investigators who worked for the Scorpions unit, established in terms of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998, to the SAPS.
In October, Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa said that both crime fighting institutions have contributed positively to the fight against organised crime, but that their continued separation has led to rising elements of negative tension.
The passing of the Bill would bring to fruition a multi-disciplinary and integrated approach in the combating of organised crime, he said.
The minister explained that the issues of poor cooperation and coordination, as well as parallel and duplication of cases that has shown itself in the past needed to be dealt with. "If we do not, only criminals will benefit from such inaction."
