“Cool drinks” undermine public trust in law enforcement – Corrupt police officers are equitable in their extortionary efforts, targeting poor and wealthy business districts alike. Bribes can go from a few dozen to a few hundred rand.
asually leaning into the side-window of a car stopped at a routine checkpoint on a congested Johannesburg road, a police officer tells the driver he needs “a cool drink”.
Across the road, the number for an “anti-corruption hotline” is emblazoned on the side of a parked police van. “It’s simply opportunistic tendencies from some people wanting more,” said an officer with the local watchdog, Independent Police Investigative Directorate. Corrupt police officers are equitable in their extortionary efforts, targeting poor and wealthy business districts alike. Lwando, an Uber driver who spends most of his time on Johannesburg’s roads, says the amount depends on “the greed of the cop”.
In turn, motorists can expect some leniency. “Even when they see you can’t drive because you’re drunk, as long as you have money you’re safe, they let you go,” he alleged. Yet, most people are unlikely to report a shakedown and the problem seems to be getting worse. A 2021 survey by Afrobarometer found that South Africans’ trust in the police was at “historically low levels”, with three in four respondents saying they had no confidence in law enforcement, up from one in two in 2011.
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