Johannesburg - A woman suspected to be mentally unstable was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer after being found wearing police uniform.
At the time of the arrest, the woman was found wearing two SAPS beanies, a SAPS cap and a jersey with a SAPS logo. The jersey also had “Thompson” stitched on the right breast of the jersey, where police’s badges would normally be.
Spokesperson for the Joburg Metro Police, Xolani Fihla, said officers spotted her in the Johannesburg CBD going into a shop on Von Weillig Street.
He said the officers followed her and asked her for a police appointment card which she did not have.
“They asked her where she got the uniform from, and she said she had the (SAPS) emblem embroidered at a shop in Carletonville but does not know where the guys who did the embroidery are now.
“However, officers believe she got the uniform somewhere else,” Fihla said.
According to Fihla, police profiled her before detaining her and found that she had a pending case.
“The officers found that she was supposed to have appeared in court the day before her arrest as she has a pending case. They also found that she had been arrested before for crimes such as shoplifting.
“They also said it looks like she could be mentally unstable,” Fihla said.
Asked whether she was taken for a mental evaulation to determne if she indeed was mentally unstable as officers had suspected, Fihla said she was handed over to the SAPS and they were the ones who could answer.
Gauteng Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said 53-year-old suspect was charged with impersonating a police officer and appeared at Johannesburg Magistrate's Court.
While Fihla said there was suspicion that mentally she was unwell, Masondo said: “Police did not suspect her being mentally challenged hence she was charged and taken to court.”
Recently, Pienaar Msongwaba, Gift Themba Mthomboti, 32, and Siboniso Ngomane were arrested in April and June this year over allegations that they had impersonated police officers.
Allegations are that in June last year, the three went to a tavern owner’s house in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, where they said they were SAPS and Hawks members who were there to investigate a murder at his tavern.
Captain Dineo Sekgotodi of the Mpumalanga Hawks said they then informed the tavern owner that he was under arrest.
“The victim's denial and alibi that he was sick at home and had no knowledge of the incident were ignored. They allegedly demanded R60 000 gratification for them not to carry out the arrest and further threatened him.
“The victim submitted to their demands and handed them approximately R60 000 as requested before they left his house. Later in the evening, one of the three so-called police officers went back to the complainant’s home demanded another R60 000, which he allegedly received.”
Sekgotodi said the matter was reported to the Hawks and investigation was conducted which resulted in the arrest of the first accused, Siboniso Ngomane, 31, in April this year.
“He is the suspect who allegedly went back demanding an additional R60 000.”
Mthomboti and Msongwaba were also traced and arrested.
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