Fewer serious criminals have been arrested and convicted since the Hawks unit was launched in 2009‚ Corruption Watch announced on Thursday.

The admission was made by the Police Ministry in reply to a question from the Democratic Alliance in Parliament‚ Corruption Watch said in a statement.

In reply to a question about how many arrests had been made every year since 2010‚ the reply showed that the success rate of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations – the Hawks — had declined.

According to Corruption Watch: “Every year since 2010/2011 there have been fewer arrests and fewer convictions.”

- In 2010-11 there were 14793 arrests‚ with 7037 convictions;

- In 2011-12 there were 13146 arrests‚ with 6538 convictions;

- In 2012-13 there were 7620 arrests‚ with 4694 convictions;

- In 2013-14 there were 6257 arrests‚ with 4043 convictions;

- In 2014-15 there were 5847 arrests‚ with 1176 convictions; and

-Since April 2015‚ there were 1038 arrests‚ with 288 convictions.

“This means that since January 2009 – the time when the highly successful Scorpions unit was disbanded – there has been a 60% decline in arrests and a disturbing 83% plunge in conviction rates‚” Corruption Watch said.

“The Scorpions were replaced by the Hawks – which operate under the South African Police Service – but there are growing fears that this unit does not operate without political interference.”

The Hawks were mandated to combat‚ investigate and prevent national priority crimes such as serious organised crime‚ serious commercial crime and serious corruption.

“With the country losing approximately R30-billion – and climbing – each year to corruption‚ it is completely inexplicable as it is unacceptable that convictions in corruption have plummeted‚” said Zakhele Mbhele‚ DA shadow minister of police‚ in response to the parliamentary reply.