Dirty KZN policemen busted for extortion

THE badges were real. The guns were loaded. And for months in the shadows of Amaoti, fear wore a police uniform.

Two KwaZulu-Natal police sergeants, men sworn to uphold the law, now stand accused of turning it into a weapon. On Friday in Inanda, the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit moved in and arrested the pair on charges of extortion, bringing a dramatic end to what investigators say was a calculated campaign of intimidation.

According to provincial police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda, the suspects were no impostors. One was stationed at Inanda police station. The other worked at the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court. Both carried authentic police identification cards. Both carried firearms. And both allegedly used them to shake down vulnerable traders.

For months, operators of illegal shebeens and sellers of illicit cigarettes in the Amaoti area were reportedly approached by the two sergeants. The routine was chillingly simple. They would arrive as officers of the law, flash their genuine badges, reveal their weapons — and then demand cash.

Pay, or face arrest.

What made the alleged scheme especially brazen was its reliance on legitimacy. These were not criminals posing as cops. Investigators say they were serving officers exploiting the authority and fear attached to their uniforms. The very symbols meant to protect communities became tools of coercion.

The arrests, carried out in Inanda on Friday, followed a months-long investigation by the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit. Authorities say the case exposes a disturbing betrayal of public trust — one that struck at the heart of communities already grappling with crime and economic desperation.

Now, instead of enforcing the law, the two sergeants will answer to it.

Netshiunda said that on January 14, the Amaoti community came together, apprehended the two officers, disarmed them, and took them to the Amaoti satellite police station. Police on duty at the satellite police station redirected the community members to Inanda police station to open cases.

“The same police officers reportedly drove out of the satellite station with the two apprehended police officers in the back of a police van,” he said.

“When the community arrived at Inanda police station, they were perplexed to find out that the two police officers were not brought to the station and that nobody at the Community Service Centre had any knowledge about the alleged extortion and the apprehension of police officers.”

The Provincial Anti‑Corruption Unit took over the investigation, culminating in the arrest of the two sergeants.

They are scheduled to appear in Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court tomorrow to face four counts of extortion, Netshiunda said.

Authorities have warned that additional charges may follow as more victims come forward to open cases against them.

Police have also confirmed that an investigation into defeating the ends of justice is at an advanced stage against officers who allegedly failed to open a case and aided their colleagues’ escape from the Amaoti satellite police station.

KwaZulu‑Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said police must first address corruption within their ranks to effectively fight crime.

“There are few individuals who are tarnishing the name of the police, and we must deal with them from within and get rid of them.

''We cannot have police officers who are in cahoots with criminals, and those who are found to be involved in any form of criminal activities must be arrested and face internal disciplinary sanctions,” he said.

He also praised the Amaoti community for their role in upholding the law.

“We thank the community of Amaoti for respecting the law by not taking the law into their hands, but apprehending the suspects and handing them over to the authorities.

''We apologise that some of us let you down and released the suspects; however, the wrath of the law will take its course, and justice will be served,” Mkhwanazi added.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE