A Fordsburg businessman was arrested on 8 February by the South African police for attempting to bribe a City of Johannesburg official.
During a Buya Mthetho (bring back the law) operation, officials found four bridged prepaid electricity meters and a bypassed water meter at his property.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said that as the officials were about to remove the meters, the suspect approached the team leader from the revenue department and offered him R10 000 in exchange for new meters.
“A sting operating led the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) working with the police, City Power and the revenue department was then set up in the evening,” Mashaba said.
The suspect then paid R8 000 for the meters and was apprehended by police.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today, 12 February.
Mashaba said he is happy that operation Buya Mthetho in its first few days is yielding positive results. The operation is a new multi-departmental operation aimed at enforcing by-laws and bringing the rule of law to the City.
This operation, Mashaba said, will be conducted on a daily basis, as a ward based so-called raid initiative.
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