By Thomas Thale
THE Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has stepped up efforts to root out corruption and misconduct within its ranks.
Abel Nkosi, deputy director of internal affairs at the JMPD, says that in January two officers were dismissed for soliciting bribes and a third for conduct unbecoming of an officer.
There are currently 47 cases pending, adds Nkosi.
Nkosi says this proves that the JMPD is dealing with the problem of corruption aggressively, following the City's strategy of zero tolerance. "We have adopted a pro-active stance in our handling of these matters. We are now taking the fight to the perpetrators."
According to Nkosi, since the JMPD was set up in 2001, 66 officers have been dismissed, mostly for engaging in corrupt practices.
Chief Superintendent Moses Mahlatje, senior manager at internal affairs in the JMPD, admits corruption is a perennial problem for Metro Police. "It is there. You can't say you'll eliminate it. But we are on top of the situation. It has stabilised."
By far, the most common form of corruption happens when motorists are stopped for breaking laws of the road but then asked to pay a bribe instead of being fined, says Mahlatje.
Nkosi recounts a recent case in which a member of the public reported a lone Metro Police officer who was stopping cars along Market Street and demanding bribes. "We went to the scene and took pictures of him stopping a taxi, then chatting to the driver, and saw the driver slip money into his hands. He was wearing combat uniform, complete with boots and kept putting the money inside his socks and trousers, not inside his pockets. Back at the depot, we made him strip and R610 fell out of his trousers."
The officer was arrested and immediately suspended with full pay, says Nkosi, adding that once corrupt officers are caught, they are suspended and then face internal disciplinary action plus external criminal prosecution.
The difficulty in handling such cases, adds Nkosi, is with proving guilt. The presiding officers in the internal tribunal of Metro Police use balance of probability as their standard but in court, are expected to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
To illustrate his point, Nkosi relates a case of an officer who was caught in the act, but then swallowed the R20 he had been paid as a bribe. "Internally we could take disciplinary action. But the courts wanted the evidence and we could not produce the R20 because it had been swallowed. He was therefore acquitted."
The City's testing stations and licensing departments have also proved to be fertile grounds for fraud and corrupt practices, Nkosi admits. The city has five licensing stations: Johannesburg, Midrand, Randburg, Roodepoort and Sandton.
"There have been cases where officers were caught issuing car papers without the right documentation being presented," admits Nkosi.
But Nkosi vows to root out all forms of graft in the JMPD. "When someone solicits money for performing their duty, that's unacceptable. Allowing some people to jump the queue for a fee is also repugnant," says Nkosi.
The internal affairs unit, says Nkosi, investigates all kinds of misconduct, including officers who go Absent Without Leave, use obscene language, drunken driving, harassment and even domestic violence reported by spouses. "We handle everything that could bring the JMPD into disrepute.
To report a corrupt officer, call the corruption hotline at 0800 203 712.
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