The case was postponed when two Cape Town law enforcement officers were back in the dock yesterday following their re-arrest on Tuesday 2 December by the Hawks on corruption, extortion and business robbery charges — the same officers who were arrested on similar charges in May this year but returned to administrative duty.
In response to a media inquiry following their court appearance, Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for law enforcement, explained the sequence of events that led to the officers returning to work earlier this year.
“The City initiated the appropriate action at the time, in line with policies and processes, and the officers returned to work after the disciplinary charges were withdrawn as the SAPS investigation was incomplete,” he told TygerBurger on Thursday.
“They were placed on administrative duty while the employer continued to investigate the matter internally. They were re-arrested by the Hawks on 2 December 2025 on the same charges which the City was involved in since January 2025.”
The current charges stem from incidents that began on 31 January, and continued until their arrest this week, according to Hawks spokesperson W/O Zinzi Hani. The officers allegedly targeted foreign national spaza shop owners, demanding money regardless of whether asylum documentation was produced.
Officers demanded cash, allegedly stole R600k in cigarettes
“With or without the documents the officers will still demand money. On different occasions the victims paid an amount of R5 000 and R6 000,” Hani said.
The investigation revealed that during one arrest, the suspects allegedly stole cigarettes worth over R600 000 from a victim’s vehicle while the victim was being processed at Philippi East police station. However, according to Hani, this is not the first time these officers have faced such charges.
The safety and security directorate is committed to rooting out corrupt and criminal elements that have infiltrated the City’s enforcement service.
City vows zero tolerance for corruption
Following this week’s arrests, Dyason confirmed that the officers will be suspended as the disciplinary process gets underway, with the matter being handled according to City policies and processes. Dyason emphasized the directorate’s stance against corruption within its ranks.
“The safety and security directorate is committed to rooting out corrupt and criminal elements that have infiltrated the City’s enforcement services,” he said. “We will not hesitate to investigate and take the required action when wrongdoing is uncovered.”
TygerBurger has contacted the police’s provincial Anti Corruption Unit for comment on the initial investigation conducted by them and is awaiting a response.
