Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Suspends SAPS Officers for Misusing Van for Matric Farewell
- The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has taken action against a group of police officers who went viral
- A clip of members of the police force accompanying a high school student to a matric farewell caused outrage online
- Mkhwanazi said that the officers have been suspended, and South Africans slammed their wasteful actions
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.
Source: Getty Images
ESTCOURT, KWAZULU-NATAL — The South African Police Service (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi suspended police officers who accompanied a high school learner to a matric farewell with a police escort in Estcourt.
The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster shared a statement on its @CrimeWatch_RSA X account. A video of the incident was attached to the statement. In the video, an armed member of the police force steps outside of a police van at a matric farewell. Moments later, a learner is seen walking on a red carpet.
Mkhwanazi takes action against officer
Mkhwanazi instructed the officers to be removed from duty temporarily and initiated an internal disciplinary process. He confirmed that the officers were accompanying the child of a colleague and slammed them. Mkhwanazi accused them of neglecting their primary responsibilities. Mkhwanazi also instructed the finance and supply chain management officers to determine the financial loss of the officers' action.
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Source: Getty Images
Mkhwanazi said the state cannot afford to have police officers who report for duty but use state resources for their personal gain.
"State petrol, state time, and the running cost of that vehicle should be claimed from those members," he said.
He added that community members always complain that when they call police stations, they are told that there are no vans, whilst police officers misuse state resources meant to serve the communities.
View the X video here:
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department suspended members for grooving with a state vehicle in November 2024. This was after a video of them drinking at a party in a state vehicle went viral.
The South African Police Service revealed in June 2025 that 163 members were suspended during the 2023/2024 financial year. The officers were suspended for various offences, including murder, corruption, and theft, and cost the state over R8 million.
What did South Africans say?
South Africans on X were furious.
Thuli said:
"This is a waste of state resources. People need those services."
TheeCandid said:
"Wasting state resources for nonsense. What's next: going to groove with the car?"
MT44 said:
"I don't even use my work vehicle to buy food."
Naledi said:
"Always attending to nonsense instead of doing their job."
VortexxVixen said:
"They must be removed completely from their positions. They are clearly in the wrong field."
Drunk officer to be investigated
In a related article, Briefly News reported that SAPS confirmed that a police officer who went viral for being drunk would be investigated. A video of the officer went viral on 7 July.
In the video, the officer, who is believed to be a station commander in the North West, is seen making threats while another officer accompanies him to a state vehicle. The community accuses him of being drunk.
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Source: Briefly News
