Provincial Police Commissioner, Moeketsi Sempe, tells OFM News that management at the South African Police Services (SAPS) at both national and local level condemn and detest the involvement of police officers in corrupt and criminal activities. He says one of the measures set in place to curb this problem is the expeditious process which falls under the SAPS Discipline Regulations. The process was put into effect by the former Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, in 2016 and Sempe is adamant the process is yielding results. “Any allegation of that particular nature, we investigate it swiftly and we don’t hesitate. We dismiss the person,” warns the Provincial Police Commissioner.

Sempe’s comments come ahead of the court appearance of two policemen implicated in the murder of Bloemfontein businessman, Louis Siemens. The men, Bayswater Detective Molebatsi Mogoera and court orderly Kagiso Chabane, stand accused of colluding with accused number one in the matter, businessman Stanley Bakili, in orchestrating the murder of the then CityMed Managing Director. The 56-year-old Moeketsi Lesia, a Captain stationed at the Bayswater police station, also stands accused of being involved in the murder which took place on May 10. Unlike Mogoera, Chabane and Bakili, who remain in police custody, Lesia was released out on bail in December 2018. 

There is also the matter in which four Navalsig policemen were accused of robbing and assaulting a shop owner, in early October 2018, also in Bloemfontein. Gideon Mandindi, Molebatsi Modisenyane, Mohlomi Ramaphiri and Seabelo Mogopodi are alleged to have robbed a shop owner in Kopanong, Phase 3, taking R 25 000 in cash, cigarettes and a cell phone. The policemen were released out on R 1000 bail each on Wednesday, October 10.

OFM News