A Limpopo police constable is facing corruption charges after allegedly demanding a R10,000 bribe from a timber truck owner and detaining the driver when the full amount was not paid.
The South African Police Service said the officer, stationed at Tubatse SAPS, was charged following an investigation by the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit after the truck owner reported the alleged extortion.
The incident happened on August 1, 2025, when a Tubatse police constable allegedly demanded a R10,000 bribe from a timber truck owner during a roadside stop along the R37 and then detained the driver after the owner refused to pay the full amount.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the officer and three colleagues were conducting routine patrols when they stopped a truck and trailer carrying a load of pine timber from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga to a customer in the Mokopane policing area.
The driver was allegedly unable to produce a permit authorising the transportation of the timber and contacted the truck owner for assistance.
“After stopping the truck, the driver was approached by the suspect, who asked him to produce a permit for transporting the timber but said he was not in possession of it and called the truck owner,” said Mashaba.
Mashaba said the constable then allegedly took the driver’s cellphone and spoke directly to the owner, demanding R10,000 in exchange for allowing the truck and driver to continue their journey.
The situation allegedly escalated when the officer later phoned the owner again while transporting the driver to a police station, providing his banking details and instructing him to deposit money for the release of both the driver and the truck.
“The owner deposited R1,000 into the suspect’s bank account, stating it was all he had and pleaded for the release of the driver and truck,” Mashaba said.
However, investigators allege that the constable became angry, verbally abused the owner over the phone and demanded the remaining R9,000.
When the owner refused to pay, the officer allegedly detained the driver on allegations of possessing stolen property.
The driver subsequently appeared in the Praktiseer Magistrate’s Court on August 2, 2025, but the case was not enrolled.
The matter was later reported to authorities and transferred to the Limpopo Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation. Following further investigations, the case was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who authorised criminal proceedings.
Mashaba said the constable was formally charged with corruption on June 15 and served with a summons to appear before the Burgersfort Magistrate’s Court on August 24, 2026.
Police investigations are continuing.
The Star
Masabata Mkwananzi
iol.co.za
