Buziwe Nocuze
Tavern owners in the Europe informal settlement in Gugulethu allege that light-fingered police officers are making off with their money and their booze.
They claim police officers show up after trading hours, take their favourite alcohol and cash from their tills and walk off.
One of the tavern owners, Thandile Mlenga, said she was sleeping when a police officer came into her establishment pretending to buy wine.
She said the cop asked her to open the bottle for him. As soon as she’d done that, a group of officers stormed her tavern and started searching it.
“I begged them not to take money because it belongs to my family but they took R3,000.”
She said before they left they also took boxes of brandy and gin.
“I suspected something was wrong when they took half of my stock. But I decided to keep quiet because I knew that if I continued asking them questions, they would attack me,” she said.
Mlenga was not the only alleged victim. Veronica Zembe told Scrolla.Africa that more than R4,000 in cash and alcohol was stolen from her tavern.
She said she thought criminals were breaking in. “While I was sleeping I heard noises of people breaking my burglar gate. I was certain that it was criminals who were there to rob me. So I screamed for residents to come and assist me.”
She was met with police in uniform. “They managed to break into the house and started taking alcohol. They were so happy to see Savannah and wine and rushed to take it. You could tell that they’d hit the jackpot,” she said.
She said the police officers claimed that they were at her house because she was selling alcohol after legal trading hours.
“I know they didn’t take the alcohol back to the station and register it. They took it for themselves.
“We are tired of them. We want our money and alcohol back.”
The tavern owners said they opened cases but nothing has been done and no one has been arrested for the theft.
Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said the complainants had a right to discuss the progress of the matter with the investigating officer or approach the branch commander for assistance.
“The investigation into the case is still under investigation,” he said.
