According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma congratulated two members from the Balfour police station, Constables Vuyi Mqhwathi and Mandla Khumalo, for refusing the bribe.

"The two members were on duty doing routine patrols near a certain gold mine, when they spotted a white Toyota double cab without a registration number, parked near the mine gate," Hlathi said.

"They then approached it and interviewed the driver who reportedly mentioned that he was working for a certain security company based at Nigel in Gauteng and was doing a site visit inspection."

The two constables then called the security company to verify whether the 38-year-old man was, in fact, working for the company, but the security company denied that he worked for them.

Additional charge of bribery

The constables then took him to the police station to charge him for impersonating a security officer.

"While on their way to the police station, the suspect reportedly took out R2 000 from a plastic bag and offered it to the members in exchange for his freedom and the members would not budge.

"Further on, towards the police station, he again took out another amount, later calculated to the tune of a whopping R40 000, and offered it to the police in exchange for his freedom, but the incorruptible members stood their ground and instead took the money, [and] booked it in the exhibit register. The members laid an additional charge of bribery against the suspect," Hlathi said.

Zuma said what the constables did was exactly what was expected from every member of the organisation.

"The members should continue being true to the oath they took and work to protect their community," said Zuma.

The general expressed wishes that this kind of behaviour would rub off on other police officers as well, Hlathi said.

News24