Cops who break laws must go

It would be a laughing matter if it was not showing how some police members are not taking their jobs seriously.

Police are supposed to be the custodians of the rule of law, and it is, therefore, disheartening when police officers keep on breaking the law.

Their actions may seem harmless but they may increase crime.

A case in point is the misuse of police vehicles.

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Thanks to social media posts, police are often caught running their private businesses, buying groceries for their families, committing crime or being involved in other forms of abuse in state vehicles.

Many people call for police help and are told there is shortage of police vans.

In the past, authorities promised to deal with these misdemeanours harshly, but it seems police members are not deterred as it is getting worse.

The misuse of government vehicles went to another level last week.

A video depicting a police van being misused to promote herbs in Sunnyside, Pretoria, went viral.

The video shows “Dr Bubudza”, a well-known entrepreneur from Venda in Limpopo, seated in the back of the police vehicle promoting his “Go Down” herbal products while instructing the driver to sound the sirens.

“Hello! It’s Go Down Herbs heritage special for you from 1 to 30 September. Special No 1: you can get two Go Down Herbs for R250 and one Mpesu or a free herb for a runny stomach.

“Special No 2: you can buy two underground herbs for R300. Special No 3: one Go Down herb and one underground herb, buy two for R150.

“Make that herb to be weeooweeoo,” said Bubudza, real name Khumbudzo Tshi, while the driver sounds the sirens.

Strangely, Bubudza, who has not yet been arrested, didn’t see anything wrong with his actions.

“Nothing happened, don’t worry. It was a joke,” he said, adding that he used TikTok to promote the herbs.

While authorities have vowed to take stern action, it must be noted police vehicles should be used to serve and protect the public and for the benefit of crime victims – and not for any other purpose.

Police members who abuse state resources don’t belong in the force.

They should be relieved of their duties and locked up with their collaborators.

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