Five Limpopo cops granted R1,000 bail in immigration offences case
Five police officers attached to Polokwane International Airport have been granted bail of R1,000 each after appearing in court on charges linked to the disappearance of 46 undocumented foreign nationals from police custody.
The officers appeared in the Polokwane magistrate’s court on Tuesday, facing charges of defeating the ends of justice and contravening the Immigration Act.
Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said the matter had been postponed to November 30 for further investigation.
Sgt Monyebodi Joyce Matlala, 48, Sgt Makwena Emmanuel Manamela, 49, Montsho Johannes Thole, 44, Sgt Congress Kwena Mothiba, 44, and Sgt Benjamin Nare Chokwe, 50 were arrested on Monday by the provincial anti-corruption unit, assisted by the Polokwane tactical response team, following an investigation into allegations that they facilitated the evasion of lawful immigration enforcement processes.
The charges stem from an incident on April 17 2025, when a traffic officer stopped a 22-seater Mercedes-Benz minibus on the N1 near Polokwane. The vehicle was transporting 46 undocumented foreign nationals.
The driver was arrested and the minibus was escorted to the Polokwane N1 weighbridge for further processing.
All 46 occupants were confirmed to be undocumented, prompting a request for assistance from police officers attached to Polokwane International Airport.
It is alleged that four male officers and one female officer arrived at the scene and told the traffic officer that arrangements had been made with the station commander to transport the group to Polokwane police station for further processing.
However, when the station commander and the arresting traffic officer later followed up at the police station, neither the officers nor the foreign nationals could be found.
The matter was referred to the provincial anti-corruption unit for investigation. Ledwaba said the director of public prosecutions subsequently directed that the five officers be charged.