The Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested two members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in connection with an alleged corruption incident that occurred in March this year in Harrismith. The arrests, carried out today, are part of the Unit’s mandate in the government’s ongoing efforts to eradicate corruption at all levels of the public service, including within law enforcement.
The case stems from an incident reported on 5 March 2025, in which the two officers allegedly visited a liquor store in Harrismith under false pretenses. Posing as officials from Bloemfontein, they claimed to be conducting an inspection to verify the authenticity of the liquor being sold. After completing their purported inspection, the officers allegedly threatened the business owner with arrest and demanded a R5 000 bribe. The complainant stated she only had R2 500, which the officers accepted before leaving the premises.
The matter was reported and subsequently handed over to the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation. Following a thorough probe, the case docket was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who issued a directive for the suspects to be arrested and charged.
