Four Police Officers Nabbed For Stealing R1.8 Million In Zama Zama Heist

Four police officers are scheduled to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of theft and defeating the ends of justice.

Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, confirmed that the four police officers consist of three men and one woman.

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“Their appearance follows after they were arrested during a joint operation by the Hawks Nelspruit-based serious corruption investigation, serious organised crime investigation, and Mpumalanga crime intelligence on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in Barberton, Mpumalanga,” she stated.

Details Leading To Police Officers’ Arrest

Captain Sekgotodi detailed that on Thursday, the four police officers from the Barberton detectives conducted a search at the residence of a “paymaster” for illegal miners, colloquially known as zama zamas.

During the search, they discovered an amount of R1,800,000 stashed inside a bag in a wardrobe. The officers allegedly confiscated the money without logging it in the SAPS 13 register or opening a case docket.

It was reported that the son of the paymaster, who was present at the house, was taken to the police station and detained in the cells for five hours. The crime intelligence unit was later summoned to the police station, and upon their arrival, they contacted the police officers to return. The officers produced an amount of R200,000, claiming it was found at the paymaster’s house.

The complainant, the son of the paymaster, subsequently opened a case of theft of cash against the four police officials. The detectives were arrested, charged, and detained at the Nelspruit police cells.

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Official Response

Provincial head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nicholas Gerber, has welcomed the swift arrest of the “non-compliant and corrupt” officers. He stated, “The Hawks in Mpumalanga will investigate and bring all perpetrators of crime to book without fear or favour.”

Gerber also issued a stern warning to police officers across Mpumalanga to refrain from engaging in corrupt activities.

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