Officers arrest six of their own
Six law enforcement officers, four traffic officials and two police officers, were arrested for corruption after a lengthy investigation this weekend.
KOMATIPOORT – The officers were caught when the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks) Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, in collaboration with the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), pounced on them while they were on duty.
The officers were arrested for allegedly extorting bribes from motorists.
Two traffic officers of the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Khethiwe Mkhabela and Lucky Mabena, appeared in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of fraud and corruption.
Both were nabbed by the Hawks at a roadblock. Each was released on R1 000 bail after they were not asked to plead to the charges.
They were asked to return to court on July 12. Another suspect, David Mahalre Ntuli (34), a member of the Public Order Police Unit and an instructor at Moloto Traffic Training Centre in KwaMhlanga, also appeared in the same court for alleged corruption.
He was also granted bail of R1 000 and will return on June 12, pending further investigations.
The other three suspects, two traffic officials and a police officer, the identities of whom cannot be divulged, were expected to appear in Middelburg and Belfast Magistrate’s Courts respectively yesterday.
At the time of going to press the outcome was not yet known.
Hawks spokesman in Mpumalanga, Capt Deneo Sekgotodi said the officers would stop motorists, mostly foreign nationals on the N4, and demand bribes.
She said Ntuli would travel to the Malalane area and stage stop-and-search operations and demand bribes.
The investigations started about two years ago. We had to collect enough evidence against the accused. Today we arrested them at their workplace while the police officer, Ntuli, was arrested at his home,” said Sekgotodi.
Mpumalanga MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabsile Shabalala, said she was saddened, because law enforcement officers should be at the forefront of the war against crashes and corruption on the roads.
She believed that these arrests will send a strong message that any corruption within law enforcement will be rooted out, because it is impacting negatively on government’s road safety efforts.
She encouraged law enforcement officers to continue working hard for community safety.
Motorists must obey the rules and report any officials who demand bribes from them. I further appeal to members of the public to report any corrupt activities so that appropriate steps are taken against any persons who are involved,” added Shabalala.
Simon Zwane, RTMC spokesman, said the arrests will send a message to other law enforcement officers to desist from illegal activities when deployed on the road.
He said society demands that there be no zero tolerance for fraud and corruption and the anti-corruption agencies have to act without fear or favour.
The N4 and R40 have been identified as the top hazardous routes in the country, recording a high number of fatal crashes.
The two routes are also notorious for violations of traffic laws including overloaded trailers, unroadworthy vehicles, unlicensed drivers and speeding, according to Zwane.
Mpumalanga recorded 172 road fatalities during the 2018/19 festive period.
The RTMC urges anyone with information on bribery, fraud, and corruption to contact them on 086-140-0800.
