Traffic officer sentenced for R50 bribe

A TRAFFIC officer has been handed a five-year prison sentence, which is wholly suspended, by the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court, after she solicited a R50 bribe from an undercover police agent.

This case has spotlighted ongoing concerns regarding corruption among law enforcement officials in South Africa.

Thembisile Yende, 48, from Mpumalanga was convicted following a rigorous undercover operation conducted by the Hawks, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. This arrest stemmed from mounting public frustration from motorists in the Ermelo area, who reported that traffic officers were allegedly seeking bribes in exchange for overlooking traffic violations.

Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said Yende's arrest followed growing concern from Ermelo motorists who complained about officials allegedly soliciting bribes.

“Yende was arrested in 2022 in Ermelo after the Hawks Middelburg-based serious corruption investigation team reacted to the outcry after motorists in Ermelo raised concern about traffic officials who unduly sought gratification in exchange for traffic law violations,” said Nkosi.

During the sting operation, Yende demanded R50 from an undercover agent who was posing as a motorist, on the pretext of not displaying vehicle registration plates. Once the bribe was paid, Yende was swiftly taken into custody.

Her court appearances extended over several sessions before she was finally sentenced. The magistrate imposed a wholly suspended five-year prison sentence, contingent on Yende not committing a similar offence during the next five years.

Major General Nico Gerber, head of the Mpumalanga Hawks, expressed that the verdict serves as a cautionary tale for law-enforcement officers involved in corrupt actions.

While he noted that suspended sentences for corruption are “not the desired outcome”, he respected the court's decision and emphasised the imperative role of integrity in law enforcement.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE