‘Corrupt’ Olievenhoutbosch cops are ‘selling bullets’ – community leader

South African Police Service (SAPS) officers at the Olievenhoutbosch police station are being accused of corruption and “selling bullets” to criminals.

Community leader Ben Mampya told News24 that residents were fed up with rising crime levels in the area.

A policewoman was injured when protesting residents attacked the police station, near Centurion in Gauteng, on Wednesday evening, News24 reported.

Mampya said corruption was “rife” and that residents’ complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Police dockets go missing, foreign nationals are buying bullets from the cops, school kids are using fraudulent documents, and no one wants to listen.”

Mampya added that residents had only one demand – that provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela or Police Minister Bheki Cele visit the area to listen to their grievances.

“These cops must be removed and replaced because they are criminals. There are drug dealers everywhere and nothing is being done.”

He warned that protests would intensify.

“We don’t want to burn anything, but sometimes it’s the only language they understand.”

However, national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo warned that residents should use the correct channels to air their grievances and not attack police stations.

“They must provide us with a statement so that we can investigate these allegations. We have always emphasised that anyone with information about crime must call the Crime Stop number or use our My SAPS app. Information is treated with the strictest confidence.

“We deal decisively with [corrupt] police officers – we take these things seriously. We have 195,000 members of which about 50,000 are support staff. The rest are all functional members. We have charged and dismissed members by the hundreds.”

Naidoo added that protesters who turned to violence would be arrested and charged.

“Nobody has the right to commit crime while protesting.”

Mampya said grievances were sent to the police in writing more than a year ago and were raised with senior police officials, including former provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange.

But Naidoo said he was not aware of this.

“I’m sure that this is something that will be raised in the discussions we are currently having with them. Then we can address their concerns.”

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