125 Ekurhuleni metro cops found to have chequered criminal history

Ekurhuleni is preparing to take disciplinary action against 125 metro police officers who have recently been flagged for run-ins with the law. The disciplinary action will start immediately upon completion of a vetting process which will finish on April 30, after which an outcomes report will be submitted to council. Some of the flagged officers were arrested for crimes including assault, rape, theft, drinking and driving, murder and drug possession.

Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza launched the process of vetting officers on February 16 after allegations of corruption and criminal behaviour by officers at theMadlanga commission, which is investigating the infiltration of criminals into the criminal justice system. According to Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EPMD) spokesperson Kelebogile Thepha, 3,551 officials were processed and 125 found to have a questionable past. “Finalisation of the outstanding vetting commenced on April 13.

An envisaged date for the comprehensive report and completion is April 30. “Disciplinary action against the members guilty of illicit activities is the responsibility of the human resources department,” she said. Aprevious vetting in 2022found 275 officers carried previous convictions, including: The officers awaiting trial include 15 for murder and eight for robbery. Testimonies before the Madlanga Commission have raised concerns about poor governance and corruption at the EPMD, with managers accused of not acting against officers allegedly involved in forms of harassment, violent interrogation methods, sexual harassment, concealing crimes and taking bribes.