Police Officer Nabbed For R43 Banana Theft At Mpumalanga Supermarket

A 59-year-old police officer has been arrested on allegations of shoplifting following an incident at a supermarket in the Barberton policing area, Mpumalanga.

Police in the province confirmed that the arrest stems from an incident reported on Saturday, 31 January, at around 6.30pm.

Barberton Supermarket Incident Sparks Police Officer Arrest

Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe said a security guard stationed at the store’s main entrance was alerted by the control room to suspicious activity involving a male customer.

“It is reported that a security officer who was on duty at the main entrance of the supermarket received information from the store’s control room, indicating that a male customer had allegedly added extra bananas into a plastic bag after the item had already been weighed and priced at the pay point,” said Nonyane-Mpe.

She explained that the customer was stopped and questioned, after which the bananas were weighed again.

R43.80 Discrepancy Detected at Pay Point

According to police, the second weighing showed that the contents of the bag exceeded the original weight printed on the price label.

“The value of the difference amounted to R43.80,” police said.

The man was detained at the store, and the matter was reported to the police. A case of shoplifting was subsequently opened.

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Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and that internal SAPS disciplinary procedures would also be initiated. The arrested officer was expected to appear before the Barberton Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga.

Acting Mpumalanga provincial police commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi condemned the incident, stressing that misconduct within the service would not be tolerated.

He said such behaviour damaged the image of the police and emphasised that the law would take its course without fear or favour.