Corruption in Cape Town: officers arrested in undercover operation
Two City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers were arrested on Tuesday evening, 13 January 2026, following an undercover anti-corruption operation conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Parow.
City of Cape Town Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason confirmed that the arrests stem from an incident that allegedly took place on Monday, 5 January 2026, when the officers pulled over a motorist who was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The motorist was also unable to produce a valid driver’s licence and was operating an unlicensed vehicle.
Instead of enforcing the law, the officers allegedly demanded a R3 000 bribe to let the motorist go. When he was unable to pay immediately, arrangements were reportedly made to collect the money at a later stage.
The motorist subsequently reported the matter to the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit, which set up a controlled handover. The two officers were arrested when they allegedly accepted the cash.
“This incident is incredibly disappointing, but the City will not tolerate such behaviour,” Dyason said. “We will cooperate fully with SAPS in their investigation.”
He added that the officers will be served with suspension notices once they are released from custody.
The arrests have drawn a strong response from the GOOD Party’s Cape Town Councillor, Jonathan Cupido who welcomed the action taken by SAPS and commended the whistle-blower for coming forward.
However, the party cautioned against treating the case as an isolated incident, arguing that it points to deeper, long-standing failures in how municipal law enforcement is managed.
Cupido said corruption flourishes where officers are inadequately trained, poorly supervised, and insufficiently supported, particularly in high-risk environments where they are expected to confront substance abuse, violence and crime daily.
The party criticised what it described as a reactive approach to discipline and called for systemic reform, including continuous ethics and anti-corruption training, improved financial and psychological support, transparent promotion pathways and fair working conditions.
“Corruption is a crime and must be prosecuted,” Cupido said, “but political accountability is also required from those who govern the system.”
The Parow arrests come amid a series of similar incidents across the country in recent years, where officers of the law have been arrested, prosecuted or sentenced for bribery and corruption.
In several cases, officers were caught on camera or during undercover operations demanding small cash payments from motorists in exchange for avoiding fines or charges. Other matters involved repeated bribe-taking uncovered through community complaints and sting operations, with some officials receiving direct prison sentences after conviction.
More recently, officers attached to specialised municipal units have also faced arrest on charges of extortion and corruption, including allegations of demanding money from business owners instead of carrying out lawful inspections.
These cases have reinforced concerns that bribery within law enforcement structures remains a persistent challenge, despite internal codes of conduct and disciplinary frameworks.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za