INVESTIGATING THE INVESTIGATORS: A summary of the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry

The Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) was set up in 1999 as a specialised unit of the National Prosecuting Authority with the dual responsibility of investigating and prosecuting national priority crimes, the main focus being high-level corruption and organised crime. Despite its successes, by 2005 critics were raising questions about its mandate and the strained relationship between the DSO and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Consequently, President Mbeki appointed Judge Sisi Khampepe to head a Commission of Inquiry into the mandate and location of the DSO. This article is a summary of some of the key issues raised in the Khampepe Report.