Recently, the South African Police Service made headlines as four of its officers were apprehended for their involvement in a robbery targeting a Nigerian rapper. The stolen items, including high-value jewelry estimated at R20 million, were taken during a break-in at the artist’s residence in Llandudno, Cape Town on September 14. The officers, identified as Jacobus Groenewald, Bradley Minnaar, Mthuthuzeli Mafanya, and Bathandwa Soldati, were arrested by the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit. They were accused of orchestrating the robbery while in uniform and using official vehicles to carry out their criminal activities.
The suspects appeared before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court to face charges of aggravated robbery. Sources revealed that this group of officers, allegedly part of a larger syndicate, had been using their positions to commit robberies in affluent neighborhoods. The officers reportedly entered the Nigerian national’s home under the guise of searching for a wanted individual, only to steal a range of valuable items, such as Rolex watches, gold bracelets, emeralds, and ivory pieces. Despite their efforts to plan the theft, their fingerprints left at the scene led to their identification and subsequent arrest.