The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed the arrest of a 34-year-old-man for impersonating the police, at Jeppes Reef Border Gate, near Tonga, on 05 March 2022.
According to the report, police received information about a suspicious civilian man who was wearing some items of the SAPS uniform at Jeppes Reef border gate. Further allegations indicated that the man was robbing people thereby demanding some items from his victims at the border, whilst pretending to be a police Sergeant. These suspicions activities were then reported to the police by a concern citizen and they (police) made a follow-up to the allegations.
The suspect was eventually cornered and during his arrest, he was found wearing police uniform with a female shirt, male trousers but without a belt, a cap, as well as ranks of a Sergeant and some brown shoes. Upon arrival at Schoemansdal Police Station, one female police officer identified him as the one whom she once hired to install ceiling at her house between February and March 2022.
Through the investigation, it was discovered that during the period he was hired by the member, he allegedly stole her police uniform (shirts). The probe by the police in this matter is still continuing in an effort to find out where he got the other items of the uniform.
The suspect, Nkosingiphile Siyalu Mancoba appeared before the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court (in Tonga) yesterday, 07 March 2022, facing charges of impersonating the police as well as for theft. He was remanded in custody until 12 April 2022 for a formal bail application.
Meanwhile the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has strongly warned against those who are doing all they could to get their hands on police items, including firearms that such behaviour will never be tolerated. "Given the recent incidents whereby members of the police were targeted by criminals for their tools of trade, this has made us to be more vigilant. We will deal strongly with those who take us for granted and we will never back down nor allow the situation to continue unabated" warned the General.
Source: South African Police Service