Saps and JMPD face off in Bekkersdal after metro officers were detained mid-operation, sparking outrage and calls for accountability.
In a scene more fitting for a crime thriller, South African Police Service (Saps) officers swooped in and arrested Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) officers conducting an intelligence-driven stolen vehicle recovery operation in Bekkersdal, near Westonaria in Gauteng.
According to Johannesburg MMC for public safety Mgcini Tshwaku, the incident occurred on Friday when JMPD’s tactical response unit and vehicle recovery unit were acting on intelligence about a suspected stolen vehicle linked to a notorious illegal mining syndicate kingpin in the West Rand.
He said this incident, which occurred during a legitimate vehicle recovery operation, underscored a disturbing pattern of interference and hostility that undermines collaborative law enforcement efforts in Gauteng and endangers public safety.
Saps arrests JMPD officers in Bekkersdal during an operation
Tshwaku said the incident also exposed deeper rot in Saps, now under scrutiny by parliament’s ad hoc committee and the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry probing claims of underworld interference and corruption made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
He said the team of seven JMPD officers had received credible intelligence information about the stolen vehicle and swiftly initiated the process of recovering the vehicle at the scene.
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“While the JMPD officers were securing evidence and preparing for impoundment, Saps officers from Bekkersdal police station arrived unannounced and proceeded to arrest our team on baseless and fabricated charges,” Tshwaku said.
In a blatant abuse of power, he said, the Saps confiscated the officers’ personal firearms, cellular phones and official vehicles, detaining them for the entire weekend without due process.
Tshwaku said when JMPD internal affairs investigators arrived at the station to demand accountability and clarity on the arrests, they were unceremoniously chased away by the Bekkersdal police.
MMC confused, suspicious on why police arrested team
He said they refused to provide any explanation on the arrest and charging of JMPD tactical personnel engaged in routine duties.
He said it was puzzling and suspicious why the Bekkersdal police arrested the JMPD recovery team in mid-operation, rather than helping process the scene and seize assets from high-level organised crime.
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Tshwaku said this raised serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and whether certain elements in Saps are prioritising protection of criminal networks over public safety.
He said the detained officers were supposed to appear in court yesterday but there was confusion about which court they would be appearing in.
“Their matter is not on the court roll, but we were told that they will be appearing. We have been taken from pillar to post.
Demand for thorough, independent investigation
“The JMPD unequivocally calls on Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni to intervene immediately in this matter.
“We demand a thorough, independent investigation into the conduct of the Saps officers involved, including their motives for the unjustified arrests.
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“Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable; the people of Johannesburg deserve law enforcement agencies that work together, not against each other,” he said.
Tshwaku said the JMPD remained committed to serving and protecting the residents of Johannesburg with integrity and resolve.
He said they will not be intimidated or deterred from their mandate to recover stolen assets, dismantle criminal syndicates, and ensure safer streets.
Eroding public trust and emboldening lawbreakers
Tshwaku said incidents like these eroded public trust and emboldened lawbreakers, saying the arrest of JMPD officers was in contravention of the understanding between the provincial Saps and municipalities on how the metro police work with Saps.
He added that tensions between the two law enforcement agencies would now resurface because of the action.
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Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said during the incident Saps arrested four JMPD members and two illegal immigrants.
She said six suspects appeared in the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court facing a raft of charges, including attempted theft, malicious damage to property, trespassing, defeating the ends of justice and contravening the Immigration Act.
Muridili said Saps was satisfied that its members acted within the bounds of the law.
Members acted within bounds of law – Saps
She said that the Bekkersdal Saps were called to the scene by community members about the raid by the JMPD.
“The swift response by members emanates from a threat emerging in the West Rand policing area where the district has recently experienced a spike in cases of house robberies and vehicle hijackings allegedly committed by suspects wearing traffic police and metro police uniforms driving in vehicles with blue lights,” Muridili said.
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She said that the West Rand policing area was on high alert amid increased police visibility, with the community alerted to the threat and urged to be vigilant in police public meetings.
