Thursday March 6, 2025
FILE - A Somali-owned spaza shop in South Africa stocked with essential groceries, snacks, and household goods. Small businesses like this are frequently targeted in armed robberies, raising concerns over security and police corruption. (Photo: Sandiso Phaliso)
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (HOL) — Three South African police officers have been arrested for allegedly robbing a Somali-owned shop while on duty, an incident that has fueled concerns over police corruption and the vulnerability of immigrant businesses.
The officers, aged 28 and 29, were taken into custody on Monday, March 3, after months of investigation by the Western Cape Anti-Corruption Unit. They appeared before the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court the following day and are scheduled for another hearing on March 11. They face charges of business robbery and firearm-related offences.
Authorities allege that in October last year, the officers stationed at Nyanga Police Station in Cape Town entered a Somali-owned shop under the pretense of conducting a search. Once inside, they brandished their firearms and forced the owner to open a secure room where cash and cigarettes were stored. The officers then loaded the stolen goods into a police vehicle and fled while accomplices held the shop owner and his two brothers in a backroom.
The business owner managed to follow the suspects in his private vehicle, capturing video footage of the police car used in the robbery. He later reported the incident to the Western Cape Anti-Corruption Unit, prompting a thorough investigation. After reviewing the evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions approved charges against the officers, leading to their arrest.
“The officers were on duty at the time of the robbery. They entered the Somali-owned shop under the pretext of a search but forcibly took an undisclosed sum of money and a quantity of cigarettes at gunpoint,” confirmed provincial police spokesperson Lt. Col. Malcolm Pojie.
The arrests have drawn strong reactions from the local community, particularly among immigrant business owners who frequently report being targeted by criminal elements. The Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) welcomed the development, calling it a step toward restoring trust in law enforcement.
“There is no place for corrupt officers in our police force. These actions damage law enforcement’s reputation nationwide,” said CPF Secretary Dumisani Qwebe. He commended community members who reported the crime and urged residents to continue cooperating with authorities.