Police corruption exposed: Officers arrested for selling blank affidavits
A 41-year-old sergeant and a 31-year-old constable, based at Table View SAPS were arrested on August 10.
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tembisile Patekile issued a stern warning saying: 'Corruption within our ranks will not be tolerated, and every effort will be made to remove any police officer from the Service found on the wrong side of the law.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Ex-Post Office manager loses pension payout over SASSA fraud
A former Post Office manager in Mpumalanga has lost over R100 000 of her pension payout for defrauding SASSA beneficiaries without their knowledge. Lucia Mashego, a wheelchair bound former Shatale Post Office branch manager in Bushbuckridge colluded with a teller, Thandeka Dibakwane, and a private person, Precious Nyathi, to steal from SASSA beneficiaries without their knowledge. FORMER POST OFFICE MANAGER LOSES PENSION OVER DEFRAUDING SASSA BENEFICIARIES According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (also known as the Hawks), Mashego made duplicate SASSA cards that were given to Dibakwane, who handed them to Nyathi to unlawfully withdraw money from different ATMs. Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said the SASSA beneficiaries suffered an actual loss of R250 000 that was unlawfully withdrawn from their accounts. Nkosi said upon noticing the illicit activities, Virginia Phoku, another post office teller, took advantage of the situation and made herself duplicate cards. Phoku was found guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence in January. 'Mashego pleaded guilty on all 60 fraud charges on 27 May. She was sentenced to eight years imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar offence. The court further ordered the Asset Forfeiture Unit to recover R146 897,05 from her pension fund,' Nkosi explained. Meanwhile, the former Post Office manager's accomplices, Dibakwane and Nyathi, are expected to appear before the Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday, 13 August. The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Major General Nico Gerber issued a strong warning to people in authority not to abuse their powers for self-enrichment at the expense of the most needy. 'We will investigate without fear or favor and ensure justice is served,' Gerber said. DO YOU THINK THE SENTENCE RECEIVED BY THE FORMER POST OFFICE MANAGER IS SUITABLE? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Ex-policeman receives 36-year sentence for colleague's murder during arrest
Following making an arrest at a tavern for an armed robbery, a former policeman shot and killed his colleague. He will serve 36 years behind bars for the unprovoked attack. Image: File Photo A former policeman of Namakgale will serve 36 years behind bars for shooting and murdering his colleague after they made an arrest at a tavern where an armed robber was nabbed. The Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane convicted and sentenced the former warrant officer, Olson Mnisi, 63, to 20 years for murder and 16 years for two counts of attempted murder. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said Mnisi was also declared unfit to possess firearms in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act. Meanwhile, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) welcomed the conviction and sentencing. Mnisi pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. During court proceedings, the court heard evidence that on September 16, 2018, at Mashishimale Village in Namakgale, Mnisi was part of a South African Police Service (SAPS) team, including the deceased, Colonel Lesiba Gilbert Matsetela, tasked with arresting a suspect in an armed robbery case. 'Upon arrival at a tavern where the suspect was located, one of the officers engaged the suspect in conversation, after which the suspect was arrested. Without provocation, Mnisi opened fire on Matsetela and the suspect, injuring them both,' said Malabi-Dzhangi. Despite Matsetela's pleas for Mnisi to stop, as they were colleagues, the now-sentenced murderer continued firing. 'The injured officer was rushed to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Mnisi was subsequently arrested,' said Malabi-Dzhangi. In aggravation of sentence, State advocate Patrick Magoda argued that the offence was particularly serious as it involved the betrayal of a fellow officer. 'He highlighted that the deceased's family had lost a father and breadwinner, and that Mnisi's actions undermined the trust and duty of care expected among law enforcement officials. Advocate Magoda urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent, particularly for public servants who abuse their positions,' said Malabi-Dzhangi. The Director of Public Prosecutions for Limpopo, Advocate Ivy Thenga, said: 'This sentence sends a clear message to public officials that violations of the laws and codes governing their conduct will not go unpunished.' Ipid confirmed that Mnisi retired from the SAPS service. Ipid spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, said that on September 9, 2018, at around 9am, Matsetela and another colleague from Bushbuckridge SAPS went to Namakgale to arrest the suspect for allegations of business robbery and possession of a firearm. The pair requested back-up from Namakgale SAPS, and three other police officers were assigned as back-up. During the incident, the deceased was shot in his leg and stomach. The sentence was welcomed by Ipid, said Shuping. [email protected]


The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Videos: How a TikTok video saved a former golf prodigy from Pretoria streets
More than a year ago, a viral TikTok video of a Pretoria man begging at a Lynnwood traffic light touched thousands of hearts. According to Pretoria Rekord, that man was Jaco Niemand (40), a former South African golf champion who had been trapped in addiction and living on the streets for nearly 15 years. The video sparked an outpouring of support, setting Niemand on a path of recovery that has brought him further than he ever thought possible. His love for golf began when he was just four years old. By the age of nine, he had become the South African champion over 3km in his age group — a promising young sportsman with dreams of making it big. After school, he pursued his studies in golf, confident of a bright future in the sport. The vicious cycle of addiction During his university years, Niemand's life took a darker turn. Introduced to drugs, he soon found himself partying hard, making a lot of money, and numbing his emotions with cocaine. Over time, he moved on to Cat, heroin, and finally, nyaope. 'I started using to suppress pain I didn't want to deal with,' he says. 'As men, we're never really taught how to handle our emotions.' The more he used, the more his life unraveled. Eventually, he lost everything — his possessions, his career prospects, and his home. His addiction demanded up to R2 500 a day, with each fix costing around R250. 'It's a vicious cycle — the more your conscience bothers you, the more you use to silence it,' he explains. A second chance By the time photographer Albert Bredenhann met him in Lynnwood, Niemand was gaunt, desperate, and dangerously close to death. That day, Bredenhann gave him R100 — money Niemand admits he used to buy drugs. But the real turning point came the next day, when Bredenhann returned, took him for coffee, and drove him directly to a rehabilitation centre, stopping to buy him clothes along the way because Niemand had nothing. 'When I saw Jaco and heard his story, I knew he didn't belong on the streets,' Bredenhann says. 'I wanted people to see that those on the streets are human beings with dreams and hope.' At the rehab centre, Niemand broke down under a hot shower — his first in months. 'On the streets, lice take over your body. That shower felt like washing off my old life,' he says. This wasn't his first attempt at sobriety. Niemand had tried seven times before, relapsing six times. 'In the beginning, I stayed clean for Albert — I didn't want to disappoint him. But after six weeks, I realised I had to do it for myself.' One of his hardest moments in recovery was apologising to his twin brother, who had driven every month to beg him to go to rehab. 'I wasn't ready before. Timing is everything.' Rediscovering his passion Now 20kg heavier, Niemand is healthier, happier, and rediscovering his passions. Most days, he can be found on the golf course — the place he says feels most like home. 'Golf has been my passion since I was four. It's part of who I am, and I still dream of a future in it.' He also cherishes life's simplest joys. 'One of my proudest moments after rehab was making my first plate of food for myself — spaghetti bolognese,' he smiles. Niemand and Bredenhann are now close friends, often sharing a braai together. For Bredenhann, the reward is seeing Niemand thrive. 'When we took him to rehab, he had nothing. That's where support really matters.' Niemand hopes his story will inspire others still trapped on the streets or in addiction. 'Drugs kill you from the inside out. All you think about is your next fix. But you can break free — you just can't do it alone.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on