CASE 1
I was asked for a bribe because a passenger in my car didn’t have their ID
Location: Berea, Johannesburg
Description:
On Joe Slovo drive, under the bridge next to the tall Vodacom building in Berea/Bertrams there was a police road block. The police officer asked for my driver’s licence then for my ID. I presented these to him. Then he wanted the ID of the passenger in the car. The passenger did not have it. He said I should drive back to Randburg in peak hour traffic and back to get the ID while the passenger waited with him, or we could give him R100. So we paid the R100 since it would take about 2 hours to go to Randburg and back in traffic.
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CASE 2
I was asked for a bribe because my driver’s licence had expired
Location: Marlboro, Johannesburg
Description:
I had stopped at a metro police road block. It was identified that my licence had expired. When I was told that the fine was R1 000, I started complaining. I was then asked how much I could pay. I said R100. I was then asked where the cash was. I said sorry I don’t have cash. He then let me go.
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CASE 3
I was forced to withdraw money from an ATM to pay a cop
Location: Buccleuch, Johannesburg
I was driving very slowly (because I’m not familiar with Joburg) and turned left at Bram Fischer road at Jan Smuts corner. Traffic police were pulling over several cars. A female officer came to the window and very threateningly declared that she was about to ruin my weekend. She claimed I was driving recklessly and that she would either arrest me or charge me R1 000. I pleaded saying that I’m from UK, new to area, asked if instead of threatening me she would actually help me!! I said I had no money on me (I was in tears and very scared at this point) but she said I had to go to ATM about 100 metres away and told me her minimum charge was R200. I got the cash, now just wanting to get away from her. She opened her receipt book and told me to slide it in. I demanded a receipt and looked at her name badge, at which point she backed out of the bribe and angrily told me to drive on. Despicable behaviour by a public servant!!!!
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CASE 4
I was asked for a bribe by cops outside the airport
Location: OR Tambo International, Johannesburg
I was exiting the parking at OR Tambo Airport on 11 March 2012 at 17h20. Two JMPD officers were waiting at the exit (one male and one female JMPD officer). Only the male officer was pulling cars off the road. The female officer just sat on the side. When I exited, I came to the stop sign and looked to the right for oncoming traffic. I went over the stop line and then stopped dead when I saw the officers, but I had passed over the stop line. I then continued driving. The female officer who was watching did nothing. The male officer was attending to another “offender” and shouted out for me to stop and pull over. I did so. While waiting, I got out of the car and tried to approach the female officer to ask if she saw the offence. The male officer shouted to me that he was the one who pulled me over and that I should not approach the female officer. When he finished with the other motorist, he said that I treated the stop as a yield. He then moved to his car. I then told him that I will not pay a bribe. That got his back up and he told me that I was talking like a woman. My father who had arrived from overseas was in my uncle’s car. They drove past in another car and asked if all was okay. The officer then told them to pull over and told me to go. I insisted that my father should not pay him anything and that we should rather pay the fine because it just encouraged this guy to victimise other Chinese. I then decided to leave. I subsequently found out that the officer was offered R10 for a “cold drink” but he said that it was not enough. He was given a further R10 and he settled on that.
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