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 A "no more tjo-tjo" campaign has been launched to highlight corruption hotspots  

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One in four Johannesburg drivers paid a bribe to traffic police in 2010, Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis said on Monday.

The report along with other surveys "show that one in four road users in Johannesburg has paid a bribe", he told reporters in Johannesburg, referring to a Statistics SA survey in 2010.

This amounted to about 150,000 drivers.

He explained that no new survey had been done, but he believed the trend had been climbing since 2010.

“Bribery is a serious crime.”

Lewis was speaking at the release of a report on corruption within the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), called “The Law for Sale”.

Key findings include the scale of the problem and that authorities fail to recognise it.“(The report) criticises the JMPD for being in denial about the extent of corruption within its force. The sheer scale of the problem is massive.” 

The report forms part of a nationwide anti-bribery campaign, or "no more tjo-tjo" campaign which was also announced on Monday.

The report was one of several planned by Corruption Watch to highlight corruption hotspots in the country.

Lewis said JMPD statistics showed only 184 cases of corruption were reported over the last three years, from 2009 to 2011. Out of these, 37 officers were found guilty and 19 dismissed.

Bribery was not a victimless offence, he said. Drunk drivers or motorists with defective vehicles were left to drive on the roads after paying a bribe.

“We often hear the excuse that the public is responsible for offering bribes to traffic officers. But we look up to law enforcement officers to be accountable and exemplary in their behaviour,” Lewis said.

“The public would be very reluctant to offer a bribe if they knew that traffic officers always upheld the law.” 

Corruption Watch was started by the Congress of SA Trade Unions in January to hold public and private sector officials accountable.

Comments

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Fri May 24 23:48:14 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 23, 2012

tpaz

if they don't get a bride they will get hungry.......


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Apr 23, 2012

sakhomba

JMPD:there you go boss. you failed to come to a halt on a stop sign.your windscreen has a crack,your tyres are finished, i brake light eyodwa aisebenzi. ngiy'kbala..uthini.
Sakhomba : (placed a R30 parcel strategically on the dash board.) and vooooom home run.

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Apr 23, 2012

Senyobela

Nothing new here...I just paid R50 on my way back from lunch for not stopping at a stop sign.
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Apr 23, 2012

CheeseBoy

pay the officers what they deserve and fire the lazy and incompetant ones.
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Apr 23, 2012

Bdoobs

I have lost count on how much tjo-tjo I have paid, been driving since 2006 and have never paid a ticket, I had 2 unpaid tickets in my previous car that I crushed (write off). The biggest tjo-tjo I've paid yet is a R 700 to a provincial traffic cop who wanted to lock me up for driving a 'stolen car' which I had lent from a freind (ex-freind).

My point is, tjo-tjo works for me, I would shove a tjo-tjo to a bloodie cop.
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Apr 23, 2012

Blackstone.lebs

...JMPD statistics showed only 184 cases of corruption were reported over the last three years, from 2009 to 2011. Out of these, 37 officers were found guilty and 19 dismissed.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tell us what happened to other 147 cases. Only 19 dismissed? does this mean 18 guilty officers are still wearing the badge or what?
1st get the JMPD house in order before you tackle the public. nothing beats a disciplined police unit.
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Apr 23, 2012

Deepstick-C

COST V/S BENEFITS ANALYSIS FOR PAYING A BRIBE

> A lot Cheaper than paying a full ticket
> Atleast you empower underpaid traffic officers
> The State has less money at their disposal to steal through corrupt deeds
> If you are drunk, you have a chance of not having a criminal record
> Less administrative and quick than waiting for your car to be examined, paper work, drunk test etc
> The list goes on-and on-and-on!
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Apr 23, 2012

Mtononozi1

So what?
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Apr 23, 2012

SKIZOBANTWANA

I won't stop issuing bribes, i can't afford to get arreted or pay huge fines.. that's PERIOD
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Apr 23, 2012

iPhone4

But we don't offer them they ask you why you are not apologising in this hot weather meaning bonyiwe liyashisa ilanga kahle hle sisuke sithiba ilanga in exchange that I don't pay my R1500 fine. Generosity!
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