Former police media officer re-arrested after skipping court in firearm fraud case

For years, South Africans have struggled with trust in the police. Stories of corruption, misconduct, and abuse of power often fuel public frustration. Now, another case has resurfaced that adds fuel to the firethis time involving a former police media officer accused of abusing her badge to commit fraud.

A fraud case that never went away

Busie Linda Dyani, 50, who once served as a SAPS media liaison officer in Mfuleni, was re-arrested on 3 September 2025 after evading court appearances linked to firearm fraud charges. The case goes back to 2019, when Dyani allegedly produced a false firearm license to obtain a Musgrave hunting rifle worth R9,000 from a Stellenbosch dealer.

At the time, she was reportedly in full police uniform. The dealer grew suspicious when the license presented was registered to a security company rather than an individual. His decision to flag the transaction led to the Hawks’ National Priority Violent Crime team taking over the investigation.

It was later discovered that Dyani had misrepresented herself as an authorised security company representative to make the purchase.

Hawks link her to accomplice

The investigation didn’t end with Dyani. A second suspect, Makhenke Sokoyi (39), was later arrested after the Hawks determined that he supplied Dyani with the fraudulent firearm license. Sokoyi remains in custody, though now for an unrelated matter.

Dyani herself was arrested in May 2019 and appeared in court soon after. But her trial, which began in July 2021, took a dramatic turn when she failed to appear as proceedings continued. A warrant for her arrest was then issued, and for years, she remained out of reach of the justice system.

Tracked down in the Eastern Cape

That changed this past week when Dyani was traced to the Eastern Cape. She was briefly detained at the East London Magistrates Court on 4 September before being scheduled to face her charges in the Paarl Regional Court on 8 September 2025.

Her re-arrest has reignited public debate about accountability within the police service. Many on social media have expressed anger, pointing out how ordinary citizens rarely get away with evading court, while those once tied to the state often manage to slip through the cracks.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “If she wasn’t an ex-police officer, she’d never have gotten this far. We need to stop protecting insiders.” Another added: “It’s the uniform that makes people trust youand when that trust is broken, it damages the whole system.”

A bigger picture of mistrust

This case is more than a story about one officer. It highlights broader concerns about firearms regulation in South Africa and how fraudulent documents can find their way into the system. Firearm fraud isn’t just a matter of illegal ownership, it often ties into organised crime, violent robberies, and community safety.

South Africa has seen rising calls for stricter controls, especially after high-profile cases where stolen or illegally acquired firearms ended up in the hands of criminals. Dyani’s case, though years old, is a reminder of how fragile these safeguards can be when those in uniform exploit the system.

For now, all eyes will be on the Paarl Regional Court next week, where Dyani is expected to finally answer to the charges she has avoided for years.

{Source: The Citizen}

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