Pretoria – The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) has arrested a Zimbabwean man for possession of a fake driver’s licence after he was stopped for reckless driving in Tembisa.
EMPD spokesperson Constable Marie Mashishi said the driver was stopped after he sped towards oncoming traffic in an attempt to overtake a funeral convoy in the presence of police officers.
“On Sunday 19 February 2023 at 10am, members of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Tembisa precinct, arrested a male suspect in his forties, for possession of a fraudulent driver’s licence, in the Lethabong section,” Mashishi said.
“While officers were busy with the funeral escort, from Tembisa to the Mooifontein cemetery, they noticed a white Toyota Quantum minibus taxi with one male occupant, unsafely overtaking the hearse and facing oncoming traffic on Andrew Mapheto Drive near the Tembisa Plaza.”
She said the EMPD officers immediately stopped the minibus.
“A driver in possession of the Zimbabwean foreign national driver’s licence, was handcuffed after officers picked up that, the driver’s license produced, was false. Necessary arrangements were made, for the minibus taxi, to end up at the owner’s hands, while the suspect was marched to the Tembisa police station,” Mashishi said.
“A charge of ‘possession of a fraudulent driver’s licence’, was registered against the suspect and he is expected to appear at the Rabasotho/Tembisa Magistrate’s Court soon.”
In December, two Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers were arrested for extortion, kidnapping and corruption, after they were allegedly paid a bribe by a motorist they had accused of having a fake foreign driving licence.
Members from the JMPD internal affairs unit attended to the complaint, and the officers were also found with over 300 foreign driving licences in their patrol car.
“They traced the JMPD patrol vehicle and found that the two male officers, who are attached to the special patrol unit, had already released the member of the public in Mayfair after extorting R4 000 from him,” JMPD officer Xolani Fihla said.
A preliminary investigation was undertaken to verify the allegations.
“Upon interviewing the two officers, it was established that there was misconduct committed by the duo. Members of the internal affairs unit searched the officers and their vehicle, and an amount of R14 000 was retrieved, including over 300 foreign driving licences and two South African licences. This substantiated the officers’ modus operandi,” Fihla said.
The complainant was called to the JMPD internal affairs office, and he identified the two officers who took money from him.
IOL