The South African Police Service has suspended numerous Western Cape officers after an investigation into their alleged links to the taxi industry.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile told the media that 23 officers, including senior commanders, had been suspended. The Station Commander of the Swellendam Police Station is among those implicated.
“Unfortunately, people are not reporting these officers to us. If the Portfolio Committee Chair had not raised the matter in the media before informing us, we would not have known that so many members were involved in the taxi industry,” Patekile said.
“We welcome Western Cape police management’s decision to suspend its own members in the fight against corruption and hope it prompts authorities in other provinces to follow suit,” said taxi operators who spoke to Taxi-World on condition of anonymity.
Patekile said the law prohibits police officers and other law enforcement officials from operating in, or having interests in, the taxi industry.
He said police management had identified additional officers linked to the taxi industry and that more disciplinary action was expected soon.
