News24 | R1.5m in bribes in one day in Joburg: DA demands action on metro police

Corruption within the Gauteng traffic and metro police services has reached alarming levels, says the DA’s Michael Sun.

ZINYANGE AUNTONY/AFP

• Corruption within the Gauteng traffic and metro police services has reached alarming levels, says the DA’s Michael Sun.
• A parliamentary response has shown that 456 complaints of fraud, corruption, theft and extortion were made against Gauteng’s law enforcement agencies in four years.
• The response notes that a sum total of R1.5 million in bribes was allegedly solicited in a single day.
• For more political news, visit News24 Politics.

Officers in Johannesburg’s metro police department have been accused of taking a total of R1.5 million in bribes in a single day.

This is according to a written parliamentary reply filed in response to a question submitted by the DA.

The reply notes that 456 complaints of fraud, corruption, extortion and theft have been lodged against the Gauteng law enforcement and metro traffic services.

Of the 456 complaints, 185 were brought against the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and 180 against the equivalent department in Tshwane.

In a statement on Monday, the DA spokesperson for community safety in Gauteng, Michael Sun, described the figures as alarming.

“These figures are deeply concerning, particularly because they represent only cases that were formally reported. The actual extent of corruption may therefore be considerably higher.”

READ | 13 cops arrested for extortion, theft in Joburg 

The DA’s parliamentary question had inquired as to the extent of reported corruption in the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP), as well as the metro police services in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane since 2022.

The DA had specifically asked how many complaints there were concerning bribery, how many officials had been suspended or dismissed as a result, and how much money had allegedly been solicited.

In Johannesburg, 17 officers were fired, and 47 were placed on suspension. In Ekurhuleni, 115 officers were investigated, seven were suspended, and one was dismissed. In Tshwane, 314 officers were investigated, 28 were suspended for bribery and corruption, and 17 were dismissed.

As to the amount of money that changed hands in Johannesburg, the reply read: “There is no known total amount as some of the extortion and corruption attempts were not completed; however, the highest amount that was taken on one day was R1.5 million in cash.”

Sun termed the figure “staggering”, adding:

This is not petty corruption. This is organised extortion, operating in broad daylight, on our roads, with impunity.

He added that the fact that, on his calculation, only 175, or 38.3%, of officers implicated in wrongdoing have been criminally charged was troubling.

In April, 13 police officers were arrested by the Hawks in two separate cases of extortion-related crimes.

Sun called on Premier Panyaza Lesufi to “confront corruption within Gauteng law enforcement agencies with decisive action, transparency, and consequences”.

He said there appeared to be no visible, functioning system of deterrence and detection to prevent this form of rampant corruption.

“Residents should not be forced to choose between complying with the law and being extorted by those entrusted to enforce it.”

As part of its election campaign in Gauteng’s three metros, the DA has vowed to fight corruption in the province, including by taking action against implicated officials.