QONCE – A multi-disciplinary Task Team which comprised OF the South African Police Service, Anti-corruption Task Team, Intelligence and Road Traffic Management Centre, conducted a takedown operation in King William’s Town on Thursday, 24 March 2022, at about 16:00.

The operation followed after the Anti-Corruption office received complaints of corrupt activities taking place at the King William’s Town Traffic Department whereby leaners and driver’s license examiners were alleged to be working with a middle man who is a driving school instructor. The middleman would identify clients and offered them assistance in terms of obtaining learners license without having to complete the test. It is further alleged that this process would be completed by the examiner who is the Traffic officer and the client is then declared competent and subsequently issued with learner’s license.

An application for an undercover operation to be conducted was made in August 2021. It was then observed that a client agent had managed to obtain the leaners by paying a gratification of R1500-00 to the driving school instructor. After entering the exam room the client agent was instructed by the examiner not to write anything on the paper, but to hand in an empty script with only personal details and the test was then completed by the traffic officer. The client was then declared competent and later received the learner’s license.

On 24 March 2022, the driving school instructor and the examiner were arrested on charges relating to corruption. They appeared in the King William’s Town Court on Friday, 25 March 2022. They are Traffic Officer Lthando Alex Jaza (51) and Driving School instructor Luvuyo Stamper (30).

In a separate incident, two of the four suspects, and in particular. a (licensing Clerk) and her male co-accused are alleged to have taken advantage of desperate members of the public who were struggling to obtain Roadworthy Test Certificate. It is alleged that the licensing Clerk would issue the roadworthy certificates even though the vehicle concerned was not there physically.

According to the report, she would charge each vehicle according to its capacity and would do this with the assistance from the examiner of her choice to issue roadworthy certificates.

During the undercover investigation, it was discovered on the eNatis system that some of the vehicles, for which the roadworthy certificates were sought, were roadworthy but were reported as having been demolished. Consequently, both suspects were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Task Team and Crime Intelligence Unit, after a discovery was made that they were involved in fraudulent and corrupt activities. The investigation started in February 2021. The two suspects appeared in the King William’s Town Court on Friday, 25 March 2022. They are Mpumelelo Morris Baneti (50) and Nomasomi Abegail Bosman (58). The court granted bail R500.00 bail each to the suspects and they are expected to return to court on 10 and 25 May 2022 respectively.

The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene commended the Anti-Corruption Task Team and Crime Intelligence Unit for the sterling work. “Corruption is like a cancer in the bone marrow, therefore it must be nipped in the bud to prevent its spread. No public servant associated with fraud and Corruption must escape justice, “Lt Gen Mene concluded.

Source: South African Police Service