The Durban Metro Police Service has suspended one of its officers after he was arrested at the department’s headquarters last Wednesday on corruption charges.
The implicated officer allegedly solicited bribes from the public by promising jobs in the service.
Metro Police Service spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said: “A corruption case has been opened, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating the matter. The officer appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday, June 12, 2026, and was released on bail.
The department has suspended the officer with immediate effect while the criminal investigation and internal disciplinary processes continue.”
Zungu said the service would fully cooperate with law enforcement to ensure the matter was properly investigated and that necessary action was taken.
He urged anyone with information, or anyone approached with promises of jobs in exchange for payment, to report it to the relevant authorities immediately.
Zungu also said that the service remained committed to honesty, accountability, transparency and maintaining public trust.
“The department wants to make it clear that jobs in the Metro Police Service cannot be bought. All recruitment and appointment processes are carried out according to the law, policies, and approved procedures. No person is allowed to sell, arrange, or guarantee employment in the service.
“The Metro Police Service strongly condemns corruption in any form and has a zero-tolerance approach to unethical and illegal behaviour by its members. Any employee found guilty of corruption will face criminal charges as well as internal disciplinary action,” he said.
He further warned the public that paying, offering, or agreeing to pay money or any form of gratification for employment is a criminal offence.
“Any person found to have paid, offered to pay, or participated in a corrupt arrangement to secure employment within the Metro Police Service or any municipal department may also face criminal prosecution. Corruption involves both the person who solicits or accepts the payment and the person who offers or provides it, and both parties will be held accountable in terms of the law,” Zungu said.
Political leaders have condemned the scandal and called for a full investigation.
DA eThekwini caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa said the party was seriously concerned about allegations that a metro police officer was arrested for allegedly taking bribes.
“We have, over the years, grown increasingly worried about the allegations of unfairness and political interference in the recruitment processes at metro police,” highlighted Mthethwa.
“We call for a forensic investigation into the recruitment processes dating back to at least five years ago. We want those identified as perpetrators of this heartless crime to face the full might of the law for preying on desperate job seekers.”
IFP member of the eThekwini Municipality Security and Emergency Committee Roy Mbonambi said the committee has long been aware of flawed recruitment practices.
“We’ve known about this for a long time and discussed that they are not recruiting correctly,” Mbonambi said.
He criticised the hiring of unqualified individuals while others were unfairly excluded, and urged the department to adopt a new strategy with rigorous medical assessments to ensure all candidates were truly qualified.
“Metro police management should ensure that during the hiring process, all processes are followed. We have to come up with a new strategy for when someone is being recruited into the police; they follow the same process,” Mbonambi said.
He noted that recruits often developed health issues, such as lung disease, within three months of joining the police.
“These are all the things they need to ensure; otherwise, it means taxpayers’ money is being wasted. They must be transparent in everything they do,” Mbonambi said.