A Limpopo police constable is facing corruption charges after allegedly demanding a R10,000 bribe from a timber truck owner and detaining the driver when the full amount was not paid.
The South African Police Service said the officer, stationed at Tubatse SAPS, was charged following an investigation by the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit after the truck owner reported the alleged extortion.
The incident happened on August 1, 2025, when a Tubatse police constable allegedly demanded a R10,000 bribe from a timber truck owner during a roadside stop along the R37 and then detained the driver after the owner refused to pay the full amount.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the officer and three colleagues were conducting routine patrols when they stopped a truck and trailer carrying a load of pine timber from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga to a customer in the Mokopane policing area.
The driver was allegedly unable to produce a permit authorising the transportation of the timber and contacted the truck owner for assistance.
