Twelve members from the South African Police Service, including a reservist, were arrested over the weekend for breaking lockdown regulations, defeating the ends of justice and corruption.
The arrests were made in three separate incidents, one of which went viral on social media.
Five officers, including a reservist from the Namahadi Police Station in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State, were arrested for allegedly being part of a group who were drinking at a local tavern on Saturday night.
Their fellow members were ready to arrest them but they managed to escape and were eventually arrested when they reported for duty on Sunday.
Photographs of their arrest went viral on social media.
The 44-year-old tavern owner was also arrested, his liquor seized and his tavern shut down.
In the second incident, six officers attached to the Brooklyn and Silverton police stations in Pretoria were arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing cash from people who were passing through a roadblock.
The Anti-Corruption Unit in Mpumalanga received the complaint that officers stole over R30 000 from a group of people.
The group did not have the necessary documentation to travel through the area and when the officers realised this they initially demanded a bribe before deciding to search the vehicle where the cash was found.
The members were arrested and found in possession of the cash.
In the third incident, a member was detained after he held a gathering at the police barracks in Soshanguve.
National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele expressed his disappointment in these members and noted that they were isolated incidents.
He said he hopes these arrests send a stern warning to the men and women in blue that they are not above the law.
All the officers are being detained and will appear in court soon.
