Six officers have been nabbed for alleged corruption in Mpumalanga following an anti-corruption drive by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
Two of the officers are SAPS members while the other four are traffic officers. The six officers were rounded up in Komatipoort, KwaMhlanga, and Middelburg.
Three of them – a female and two males aged 42, 37 and 34 – appeared at the Komatipoort Magistrate Court and were granted bail.
The others are expected to appear at the Middelburg Magistrate Court on Monday.
“The arrests will send a message to other law enforcement officers to desist from illegal activities when deployed on the road. Society demands that there be zero tolerance for fraud and corruption and the anti-corruption agencies have to act without fear or favour,” said RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane.
The arrests followed investigations conducted by the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit and the Hawks in which officers who were taking bribes on the road during the 2018/19 festive season were identified.
It is alleged that the officers took bribes from motorists travelling on different routes including the N4 and R40 in December 2018 and January 2019.
The two routes are have been identified as the top hazardous routes in the country contributing a high number of fatal crashes. Mpumalanga recorded 172 fatalities during the 2018/19 festive period.
The two routes are also notorious for violations of traffic laws including overloaded of trailers, un-roadworthy vehicles, unlicensed drivers and speeding.
The RTMC urges anyone with information on bribery, fraud and corruption on 0861 400 800.