Is it any wonder why our criminals go unpunished, why we never see justice in this Wild West country of ours?
I remember driving through the Eastern Cape with Police officer 10 years ago on the way to report a theft at a local store as a student journalist. The officer pointed to a scattering of large brick homes with livestock on the plots of abundant land among the shacks in the area. "Those houses belong to policemen," he said. "It is very corrupt here," he added.
I was reminded of that incident a few weekends back when a friend got off lightly having been pulled over for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Having been made to take a breath test, he was found to be well over the legal limit. A weekend in a prison cell seemed a certainty for friend A until the brazen officer said: "How can we make this problem go away?"
Friend A, drunk yes, but no a fool you must understand, produced the last R200 he had left in his wallet, the rest had been handed out to various barmen during the course of the evening.
Before he could even ask if the said amount was enough? The money had changed hands and he was once a again a 'free man', relived that the following day could be spent on the couch, nursing a hangover, mobile in hand texting to all in his address book of how lucky he was for not having to contemplate having a backside the size of a clown's pocket.
I have heard that police officers can earn up to R5,000 on a weekend in bribe money, but that is just a number and we all know that the limited wages South Africa's finest are paid every month is in itself, highway robbery.
My biggest concern is that the purpose of pulling someone over for being over the legal alcohol limit is to prevent them from endangering the lives of others, and themselves.
Had friend A caused a accident resulting in the death of an innocent person after being let go by the police, who would have been to blame?
Nine out of ten people in Friend A's position would do exactly the same, pay and go, and that is just the nature of the environment in which we live. There are so many citizens breaking the law that it becomes law in itself. The attitude is too often...if he is doing it, then so can I…and what fine role models we have in the way of our uniformed protectors, beating a path of corruption for us all to follow.
So big up to the SAP and Metro Police…keep up the good work, here is hoping that only a hundred is required to see you off on my next weekend bender.
I almost fell off my chair, well because of the recession, our chairs have been taken away from us, we stand now at our desks, well I actually kneel, or it hurts my back, oh never mind.
I read an article this morning that a taxi driver had tried to brbe a road traffic blockade with R30 …well clearly it wasn’t enough…I mean how far will R30 get you, its an insult to out men in blue really.
Expert from the article…
The incident happened on Friday night when police mounted a roadblock on Lansdowne Road in Nyanga. Traffic fines totalling R20 900 were issued at the roadblock. Yes that was the official amount, but did they count the money that lined the pockets of the police?
One motorist who was pulled over jumped out of his vehicle and ran away. The vehicle was then impounded by police.
In another incident, a taxi driver was arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice at a checkpoint at the intersection of Modderdam Road and Symphony Way.
Police say the driver lied to them about his licence and attempted to bribe a police officer with R30.
I remember driving through the Eastern Cape with Police officer 10 years ago on the way to report a theft at a local store as a student journalist. The officer pointed to a scattering of large brick homes with livestock on the plots of abundant land among the shacks in the area. "Those houses belong to policemen," he said. "It is very corrupt here," he added.
I was reminded of that incident a few weekends back when a friend got off lightly having been pulled over for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Having been made to take a breath test, he was found to be well over the legal limit. A weekend in a prison cell seemed a certainty for friend A until the brazen officer said: "How can we make this problem go away?"
Friend A, drunk yes, but no a fool you must understand, produced the last R200 he had left in his wallet, the rest had been handed out to various barmen during the course of the evening.
Before he could even ask if the said amount was enough? The money had changed hands and he was once a again a 'free man', relived that the following day could be spent on the couch, nursing a hangover, mobile in hand texting to all in his address book of how lucky he was for not having to contemplate having a backside the size of a clown's pocket.
I have heard that police officers can earn up to R5,000 on a weekend in bribe money, but that is just a number and we all know that the limited wages South Africa's finest are paid every month is in itself, highway robbery.
My biggest concern is that the purpose of pulling someone over for being over the legal alcohol limit is to prevent them from endangering the lives of others, and themselves.
Had friend A caused a accident resulting in the death of an innocent person after being let go by the police, who would have been to blame?
Nine out of ten people in Friend A's position would do exactly the same, pay and go, and that is just the nature of the environment in which we live. There are so many citizens breaking the law that it becomes law in itself. The attitude is too often...if he is doing it, then so can I…and what fine role models we have in the way of our uniformed protectors, beating a path of corruption for us all to follow.
So big up to the SAP and Metro Police…keep up the good work, here is hoping that only a hundred is required to see you off on my next weekend bender.
I almost fell off my chair, well because of the recession, our chairs have been taken away from us, we stand now at our desks, well I actually kneel, or it hurts my back, oh never mind.
I read an article this morning that a taxi driver had tried to brbe a road traffic blockade with R30 …well clearly it wasn’t enough…I mean how far will R30 get you, its an insult to out men in blue really.
Expert from the article…
The incident happened on Friday night when police mounted a roadblock on Lansdowne Road in Nyanga. Traffic fines totalling R20 900 were issued at the roadblock. Yes that was the official amount, but did they count the money that lined the pockets of the police?
One motorist who was pulled over jumped out of his vehicle and ran away. The vehicle was then impounded by police.
In another incident, a taxi driver was arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice at a checkpoint at the intersection of Modderdam Road and Symphony Way.
Police say the driver lied to them about his licence and attempted to bribe a police officer with R30.
