Pretoria - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said the 13 Tshwane Metro Police Department officers arrested for alleged corruption and malfeasance would be appearing in various courts within the metro today.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said 11 officers were arrested on Friday, while an additional two were taken in on Sunday afternoon. The officers are aged between 32 and 57.
Zwane called on the City of Tshwane to start its own disciplinary processes without delay and called for corruption to be rooted out.
He said the RTMC national traffic anti-corruption unit made the arrests as part of Operation Bunny following complaints by members of the public dissatisfied by the unprofessional conduct of some of the Tshwane metro police officers.
Zwane said: “We would like the Tshwane municipality to also initiate its own disciplinary response without delay.
Department spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the arrests were a result of an ongoing investigation which started about two years ago to root out corruption within the policing sector.
“We also formed part of these operations and assisted in the arrest of these members. Other organisations involved in these arrests include the Hawks, SAPS, Road Traffic Management Corporation and national road traffic enforcement,” Mahamba said.
He said the officers were accused of soliciting bribes. “They allegedly demanded and received bribes from the drivers of unroadworthy vehicles and people committing other traffic-related transgressions.”
Chief of Police, Johanna Nkomo, said they would issue all the accused officers with letters of intention to suspend after their court appearance.
In June, three metro police officers were arrested for murder and failure to comply with lockdown regulations.
“It is alleged that all three members, who were off-duty at the time, were at their colleague’s house with a friend, who is not a metro police member. A firearm was discharged accidentally, killing the friend.”
Following the incident, a 34-year-old officer was arrested for murder, while his other colleagues - aged 35 and 37 - were charged with failure to comply with lockdown regulations.
Pretoria News