Zimbabwean national with expired passport sentenced for bribing Limpopo police officers with R50

ZIMBABWEAN national, Felix Tandenda Chiyongwa, was on Tuesday in the Giyani Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced to pay a R50 000 fine or serve five years in prison for trying to bribe police officers with a R50.

Chiyongwa (37) was further sentenced to pay an additional fine of R5 000 or serve one year in prison for being in the country illegally. The sentences will concurrently.

He pleaded guilty to the charges.

On 5 October 2024, Chiyongwa was stopped at Musina Beitbridge by two police officers, but produced a passport which expired in 2020.

He offered the police officers R50 for him not to be arrested. The officers took the money, but arrested him for bribery.

In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor, Martin Molokwane, said police officers serve as the “immune system” of the country regarding security and crime prevention, and any form of corruption directed at them undermines the system.

In the Tzaneen Regional Court also on Tuesday, Mahlatsi Jonas Malatji was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape of a 13-year old girl.

Malatji (32) accosted the girl who was walking with her friend at Ga-Maraka village. He dragged the girl to a nearby river, threatened her with a knife before the rape in July 2022.

The friend, who managed to run away, reported the incident to her aunt who in turn alerted the community. Community members went for a search, but Malatji managed to escape.

He was later identified and arrested.