President Thabo Mbeki owes South Africans an explanation as to why he did not act against national police commissioner Jackie Selebi sooner, ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said in Parliament on Wednesday.

"The state president ... must tell the truth as to exactly when he became aware of the serious allegations against Selebi and why he failed to then immediately suspend Selebi," he told Parliament's debate on Mbeki's state of the nation address.

This follows acting National Prosecuting Authority head Mokotedi Mpshe's affidavit, filed in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, in which he claimed that the NPA had briefed Mbeki several times on its investigation into Selebi.

He dismissed Mbeki's claims that nobody had come to him with information on Selebi. "Nobody did, nobody came to me," Meshoe quoted Mbeki telling the media.

Meshoe said Mbeki had to admit or deny whether his real reason for suspending NPA head Vusi Pikoli was to cover up for Selebi.

Meshoe said the public was also owed an explanation as to how a draft copy of a top secret letter about Selebi dated May 7, 2007 sent from Mbeki to Pikoli, ended up in Selebi's hands.

The African Christian Democratic Party leader said Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula's announcement that the Scorpions would be disbanded was "scandalous".

"The ANC is reckless and I believe this decision is a serious blunder that will come back to haunt them in the near future.

"The Scorpions were constituted following a careful study of policing systems in other countries."

He asked Mbeki whether or not he agreed with public opinion
according to which the Scorpions were being disbanded to protect ANC members from investigation. He also questioned whether it was a move intended to benefit Selebi.

"Many surmise that without those competent Scorpions prosecutors the suspended national police commissioner will be acquitted and pave the way for him to be the head of the newly formed police unit."