Cop nabbed for not wearing seatbelt, ends up being guilty of corruption 

The Tzaneen Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo found Warrant Officer Nilos Butifana Maholobela guilty of corruption for trying to pin a crime on a traffic officer who had penalised him for not wearing a seatbelt while driving.

Limpopo police spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said Maholobela, who was stationed at the Dobsonville police station at the time, was stopped by the traffic officer in Tzaneen and issued with summons for contravening the Road Traffic Act in July 2019.

“Instead of paying a fine, the accused decided to retaliate by pinning a case of culpable homicide he was investigating on the traffic official who issued the summons against him.

“He also demanded R10 000 gratification in order to make the docket disappear,” said Maluleke.

The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit, who conducted an investigation that resulted in the arrest of the warrant officer. He was found guilty of corruption on Friday.

“It was just blackmail, and had nothing to do with him not wearing a seatbelt. He decided to be revengeful against the traffic officer who was out doing his job,” Maluleke said.

Sentencing procedures for 57-year-old Maholobela will begin on 4 June.