By Everson Luhanga
- Gauteng police boss Tommy Mthombeni says 112 officers have been arrested and 16 dismissed since January for corruption, fraud and other offences.
- One suspect arrested during Operation Shanela in Alexandra was found with military-grade bullets and a stolen car linked to a KwaZulu-Natal case.
Gauteng police are under fire after it was revealed that more than 100 officers have been arrested this year for breaking the law instead of upholding it.
Gauteng provincial police commissioner General Tommy Mthombeni confirmed that 112 officers from the South African Police Service have been arrested in the first quarter of 2025. Sixteen of them have already been fired. Five of those officers were arrested for corruption.
Mthombeni was speaking on Thursday during a police roadblock in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, as part of Operation Shanela. The area has been plagued by crime, and police say they are taking back control.
The roadblock started at 7am, targeting the rush hour traffic.
Officials from various law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Home Affairs, Johannesburg Metro Police, Gauteng Crime Wardens and private security, closed the busy London Road, a key route between Sandton and the N3 highway that connects to the OR Tambo International Airport.
While at the roadblock, one man tried to escape police by running into the crowd of officials, but he was quickly apprehended and locked up.
Around midday, police then moved deeper into the township.
They shut down unlicensed shebeens and confiscated alcohol.
At 12th Avenue, they arrested a man with military-grade bullets and a stolen vehicle. The car was linked to a 2023 case in KwaZulu-Natal. The suspect now faces charges of possessing a stolen car and illegal ammunition.
Mthombeni said Alexandra faces serious crimes including hijackings, murder, robbery and housebreaking.
In the past few days, one of the country’s oldest and overpopulated townships has seen a spike in killings, with gunfire heard almost every night.
Residents say they are not safe and pleaded with the authorities to keep one of the country’s poverty-stricken communities.
The operation began on Wednesday night, with detectives arresting suspects wanted for gender-based violence and other serious crimes.
Mthombeni warned that police officials involved in crime would be caught and dealt with decisively.
He was answering media questions about claims that some officers are exporting money from illegal undocumented foreign nationals
On a national level, senior police figures have also been arrested in July. Among them is Lieutenant General Khumalo, the national head of Crime Intelligence. He was accused of stealing money from a secret police fund and hiring unqualified people. Six other senior officers were arrested soon after him.
Before Khumalo’s arrest, General Lushaba, another high-ranking officer, was also taken into custody.
Pictured above: Police carry out a roadblock in Alexandra during Operation Shanela.
Image source: Everson Luhanga
