A Hitchhiker’s Nightmare and the Cops Accused of Orchestrating It

What began as a routine lift in a truck traveling from Piet Retief to Springs in January turned into a harrowing ordeal, allegedly at the hands of the very officers sworn to protect. This week, four Mpumalanga police officers stood in the dock of the Evander Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of kidnapping and robbery after a Hawks investigation into the shocking roadside incident.

According to the Hawks’ serious organised crime unit, the officers stopped the truck near the N17 toll plaza. During a search, they allegedly confiscated a catalytic converter, two cellphones, and R3,500 in cash from a foreign national who was hitching a ride. But the theft was just the beginning. The victim and the truck driver were then forced into separate police vehicles.

A Dark, Secluded Drop-Off and a Desperate Search for Help

In a move that smacks of calculated intimidation, the two police vehicles drove off together before onecarrying the truck drivermade a U-turn and left. The foreign national was allegedly driven to a “secluded, dark area” and abandoned. Disoriented, he spotted distant lights and made his way toward them, eventually finding himself on the Delmas road to Leslie. He managed to hitch another lift to the Leslie police station, where he finally filed a case.

“No One is Above the Law”: Hawks Welcome Arrests

Following what spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi termed a “professional investigation,” four officers were identified and summoned: Constable Thabo Mnisi (23), Sergeant Siyabonga Mbonani (32), Sergeant Modishe Mokabane (46), and Constable Sifiso Mazibuko (41).

The head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, struck a firm tone: “No one is above the law. Our members should answer for their unlawful conduct… there is no place for corrupt officials in the police.”

The case has been postponed to 2 February 2026, beginning a long legal process for the accused officers. For the victim, it marks the first step toward justice after a terrifying night where a badge became a weapon, and a traffic stop became a crime scene. The case stands as a stark test of the system’s ability to purge its own rotten elements.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com