SAPS Reacts to Video of Police Officers Allegedly Accepting Money in Johannesburg

• The South African Police Service said it would investigate allegations of corruption by police officers in Johannesburg
• A video of two police officers allegedly accepting a bribe from an undocumented foreign national went viral
• SomeSouth Africans were fuming and slammed the police in Johannesburg, accusing them of being corrupt

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG— The South African Police Service said it will probe allegations that members of the police in Johannesburg, Gauteng, have resorted to accepting bribes to release undocumented foreigners who have been arrested.

Yusuf Abramjee posted a statement from the South African Police Service on his @Abramjee X account on 24 February 2026. He had earlier posted a video of two police officers seemingly accepting a bribe from an undocumented immigrant.

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What happens in the video?

In the video, a member of the police service is seen standing with a civilian. The civilian then starts digging into his pockets and produces a wallet. He removes what appears to be money notes, and the officer reaches out. At that moment, another police officer enters the frame and joins the officer who is accepting the money. The second officer disappears, and the first officer remains with the man for a few seconds before they separate.

View the video on X here:

What did the police say?

In the statement Abramjee shared, the police noted that the allegations against the police from Johannesburg Central Police Station and Hillbrow Police Station are serious and added that corruption, extortion, or misconduct by members will not be tolerated. The police called on members of the public to report allegations of corruption or extortion to the police using the various channels, including the Anti-Corruption Hotline, the National Complaints Service Centre, and Corruption Watch. Members of the public were urged to provide accurate and factual statements to enable effective investigations.

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"The Johannesburg District Office has engaged Crime Intelligence to conduct a threat and risk assessment in relation to these allegations," the police stated.

Read the statement on X here:

South Africans question the video

Netizens commenting on the clip were not certain that a crime was being committed. Others slammed the officers.

Kaizer Phatedi said:

" There is no evidence of a crime here. I know a lot of police men who I grew up with, and in my crew, I have friends who are cops. If I give him cash in public, is it now a crime?"

Japhnath added:

"I still want to see crime. It can be people who know each other, and someone who said he wanted to buy them lunch or give them money for a drink after work."

Songo was also unconvinced.

"A police official must be an alien living on Mars. They have no relatives or friends on Earth. They can't talk to anyone or be given money without being corrupt."

Brakanjan was dissatisfied with the officers' conduct.

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"Just another normal trading day between the SAPS and thugs in South Africa."

Lesoganatsoko was disappointed.

"There goes a job down the drain."

Art shared:

"This doesn't only happen in Parkstation. It happens in bus stations in Cape Town, too. The gangs bribe the police and employees at the bus station and security guards to let them in and loiter. Then they harass everyone uninterrupted, by trying to push products onto customers. Some of these stations are several years away from having the black plague. There are serious health risks with deteriorating hygiene."

3 Briefly News articles about SAPS officers

• A member of the police traded blows with a member of the public in a video that went viral in October 2024. The video shows a heated verbal exchange between the officer and the civilian, which turns violent when the officer kicks the civilian while trying to record the officer.
• South Africans condemned a video of a drunk SAPS station commander making threats in a video that trended in July 2025. The video shows the officer struggling to maintain his posture as he staggers drunkenly to a state vehicle.
• The police launched an investigation after a video of a police officer allegedly taking cash from an informal trader in Mpumalanga went viral in January 2026. The police said the incident happened in Nelspruit, and an inquest docket had been opened for investigation.

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Source: Briefly News