Pretoria - Corruption by traffic officials taking bribes will be dealt with harshly, no matter what amount of money is involved, a judge has said.
With these words, the judge confirmed the two-year direct jail sentence meted out to a Limpopo traffic official.
“Dishonesty remains dishonesty, and the value of gratification received will not make it less dishonest. A high degree of professionalism, morals and honesty is expected from law-enforcement officers.
“If they are left to do as they wish, society at large will lose confidence in the officers who are supposed to protect road users from those who break traffic laws daily,” said Judge Maake Kganyago, sitting in the High Court in Polokwane.
Traffic officer Portia Ramphelo found out the hard way that a bribe – even if it is a mere R150 – comes at a high price.
She turned to the Limpopo High Court to appeal against her conviction on a charge of corruption and her subsequent direct imprisonment.
It had emerged that she and her colleague (whose name was not mentioned in the judgment), both formerly from the Tzaneen traffic department, were trapped by police following numerous complaints by motorists that traffic officials asked for bribes.
An undercover agent – armed with cash issued to him for this sting operation – was stopped by Ramphelo’s colleague after purposely overtaking another vehicle when not allowed.
Ramphelo said her colleague – who was also sentenced to an effective two-year jail sentence, but who did not appeal his case – took the bribe; not her. But it had emerged that she stood two metres away from her colleague and gave the undercover agent’s driving licence back to him when he paid her colleague R150.
Thus, the court reasoned, she was in on it and it was a case of common purpose.
Lieutenant-Colonel Timothy Seabi of the SAPS testified that their office received several complaints from the community, Transport Department officials and municipal officials that police officers and traffic officers posted along the various national, provincial and municipal roads within Limpopo were demanding bribes.
They decided to form an operation, codenamed Siyabangena, to weed this out.
An undercover agent was tasked with trapping these officials and to meet the demands of those who demanded bribes. A device which could not be easily identifiable was also planted on his body to record the conversation.
Armed with State-issued cash and a recording device, he illegally overtook another vehicle on the Tzaneen-Phalaborwa road.
He was soon flagged down by an official with a name tag written as Makhurupetsa who was with Ramphelo. The male officer told the agent that he was going to issue him with a R1 000 fine.
According to the agent, Ramphelo stated that her book was almost full as a result of her issuing traffic fines to other motorists. She took his driving licence, while her colleague asked the agent “what he should do with him”.
The agent “pleaded for mercy” and the traffic officials told him to give them “a cooldrink”. He handed over R150 to the official, who said this amount was in order. He said when the money was handed over, Ramphelo gave him his driving licence back.
The two were later arrested by the SAPS and charged with corruption.
Ramphelo never explained to the court why they did not issue the driver with a spot fine and why she returned his licence after he paid R150.
Judge Kganyago said it was clear both officials were in on taking the bribe.
He said if law-enforcement officers were also involved in corrupt activities the war of reducing accidents on the roads, and also making road users to obey the rules of the road would never be won.
Pretoria News