A shocking incident in Hartbeespoort has exposed what appears to be a disturbing pattern of unlawful conduct by Madibeng Municipality traffic officers, who allegedly confiscate driver’s licences and demand cash payments for outstanding fines at roadside checkpoints.
The matter came to light after transport analyst and crash investigation specialist Stan Bezuidenhout issued a public warning on Monday, 3 November 2025, following an incident involving an employee of a local business who was stopped along Beethoven Street in Hartbeespoort.
According to Bezuidenhout’s detailed account, traffic officers stopped the vehicle for a routine check, inspected the licence disc, and informed the driver that there were outstanding fines linked to the vehicle, not to the driver personally. The officers then seized the driver’s licence and allegedly refused to return it unless all fines were paid immediately in cash at the roadside.
When the employer arrived and demanded the return of the licence, the officers reportedly became aggressive, shouting and insisting that payment was the only option. The employer identified a female officer as the person in charge of the operation, who allegedly confirmed that the licence would not be returned until the fines were settled.
Following Bezuidenhout’s advice, the employer and driver proceeded to the Hartbeespoort Police Station to lay a criminal complaint of theft. Despite some resistance from police personnel, the complaint was eventually accepted after intervention by Station Commander Colonel Brandt, who instructed officers to take detailed statements.
While at the station, they met another complainant reporting the same misconduct by the same officers, indicating a possible pattern of extortion and corruption within the municipal traffic unit.
Read | Fleet Owners Warned to Settle Fines or Risk Downtime as AARTO Kicks In
Bezuidenhout highlighted that no law, including the National Road Traffic Act, Criminal Procedure Act, or AARTO system, authorises traffic officers to demand or receive cash payments for fines at the roadside. He further stated that withholding a driver’s licence to compel payment is both unconstitutional and criminal, amounting to theft, extortion, and abuse of authority.
“This isn’t law enforcement, it’s criminal behaviour,” Bezuidenhout warned. “Municipal officers have no power to confiscate licences as leverage for payment. This violates the driver’s rights and erodes public trust in law enforcement.”
He urged affected motorists and fleet owners to immediately report such incidents, demand their property back, document all interactions, and open criminal cases at SAPS stations. He also called on oversight bodies such as IPID, the Public Protector, and the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate.
The incident has raised serious questions about systemic corruption and the misuse of municipal authority in Madibeng. Industry stakeholders are now calling for urgent action from both municipal management and provincial law enforcement to restore accountability.
Bezuidenhout’s public alert serves as a powerful reminder to motorists across South Africa: never pay fines at the roadside, always insist on official procedures, and stand firm against unlawful conduct by anyone in uniform.
Madibeng Local Municipality had not yet responded to enquiries from SA Trucker at the time of publishing.
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