Twelve police officers – who had all been working at border posts on northern KwaZulu-Natal – have all been dismissed for engaging in “corrupt activities”.
KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Bheki Langa said in a statement that the police officers were dismissed following an internal investigation into corrupt activities at the Kosi Bay and Golela Border Posts.
“They were arrested earlier this year and, following an intensive internal investigation by the SAPS, they were dismissed from the South African Police Service on November 10, 2017.”
Langa also commended the role played by the community from the Umkhanyakude area for raising the alarm and reporting these corrupt police officers.
He explained that President Jacob Zuma had visited the area recently to listen to the concerns of the community.
“The President and his delegation made observations after listening to the community and instructed police management for increased and focused crime fighting efforts in the area as well as at the greater northern border posts.”
A project, co-ordinated by the Office of the Acting National Commissioner and Acting Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, was established to deal with the challenges identified.
“The project yielded positive results as a number of arrests were made and stolen vehicles were also recovered.
It also emerged during these operations that some police officers at border post were corrupt, which resulted in an undercover operation being instituted. These 12 officers were nabbed for corruption and were charged criminally and internally.”