Mpumalanga Traffic Officer Gets Five-Year Suspended Sentence for R50 Bribe, South Africans React
- An Mpumalanga traffic officer was arrested and sentenced to five years, wholly suspended, for taking a bribe
- The officer was caught soliciting bribes from motorists during an undercover operation after complaints by motorists
- South Africans weighed in on the sentence handed down to the officer, noting that others were getting away with worse
Source: UGC
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
MPUMALANGA – A Mpumalanga traffic officer has found out that soliciting bribes will land you in hot water, but some South Africans believe she got off lightly.
Thembisile Yende was arrested in 2022 in Ermelo after soliciting a bribe from a police agent who posed as a motorist. The bribe was only R50. After numerous court appearances, Yende was given a five-year prison sentence, wholly suspended, by the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court.
Traffic officer was given a five-year suspended sentence
The court handed down the jail term, but it was suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence during that period.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi explained that the operation, which led to Yende’s arrest, was conducted after numerous Ermelo motorists complained about officials allegedly soliciting bribes. The undercover operation was carried out by the Middelburg-based Serious Corruption Investigation team.
During the operation, the undercover police agent was asked to pay a R50 bribe for failing to display vehicle registration plates. Yende was then arrested.
Mpumalanga Hawks head, Major General Nico Gerber, said that the sentence, while not the desired outcome, should serve as a warning to law-enforcement officers involved in corrupt acts. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), like Mpumalanga, is also committed to clamping down on corruption after complaints of bribes being taken.
Source: Getty Images
How did South Africans react to the sentencing?
Social media users shared mixed reactions to the sentence handed down to the traffic officer. Some found it funny that she risked it all for a R50 bribe, while others felt that she got off easy and should be punished.
Diamond Mabasa said:
“The devil assured her that R50 was better than a career with pension benefits.”
Morné Van Der Berg noted:
“For R50. But the president had R200k in his couch.”
Faith Smith said:
“Imagine losing your job and career for R50.”
Ntlakuso Ngobeni noted:
“The Limpopo provincial traffic officers were sentenced to five and six years in prison, but in Mpumalanga, they get suspended sentences. It is difficult to interpret the law.”
Francios Meyer said:
“Ja, a pie and a small Coke will cost you your career.”
Ryan Kumar stated:
“Eish, this one was alright for R50. Others already raised the fee to R200.”
Zack Dee said:
“Ai shem. Those who loot billions walk free. She should've asked for at least a million.”
Luka Petersen asked:
“If she got five years for R50, I wonder how many years our president and his corrupt cadres and politicians would get. It's time they all start being held accountable.
Eastern Cape hearse driver arrested for attempted bribery
Briefly News reported that a driver of a funeral parlour vehicle was arrested for attempting to bribe a traffic officer on 24 February 2025.
The driver was transporting a body towards Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, when he was pulled over during a stop-and-search.
South Africans joked that the driver didn't offer enough money to the traffic officer as a bribe, which is why he was arrested.
Source: Briefly News
