A former South African Police Service (SAPS) constable, already behind bars on separate stock theft charges, is facing additional charges of fraud and theft after allegedly misappropriating police fleet card funds for personal use.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, arrested Bafo Siyabonga Cindi, 35, following an investigation into the alleged misuse of a SAPS FNB fleet card while he served as a police investigator.
According to the Hawks, an investigation was launched in 2024 after the matter was reported by the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Standerton, Mpumalanga.
It is alleged that Cindi, who was attached to the unit as an investigating officer at the time, used the fleet card to conduct personal transactions amounting to approximately R8 000.
Following an investigation by the Hawks' Secunda Serious Corruption Investigation, the case docket was submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), after which an application for a warrant of arrest was authorised.
On Thursday, Hawks members executed the warrant at the Ermelo Correctional Centre, where Cindi is currently detained pending trial in separate stock theft cases registered in Perdekop and Greylingstad. He was previously denied bail in those matters.
Cindi was dismissed from the SAPS in May 2026.
He appeared before the Standerton Magistrate's Court on 22 October 2026, on charges of fraud and theft. The matter was postponed to 05 November 2026 to allow him to secure legal representation.
The Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Bruce Davenport, said the arrest demonstrates the Hawks' commitment to ensuring accountability within law enforcement and the broader public sector.
"No uniform, badge or rank places anyone above the law. Those who abuse their authority and misuse state resources for personal enrichment will face the full might of the law,” Brigadier Davenport said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the Hawks in Mpumalanga remain committed to protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system and restoring public confidence through decisive action against corruption. – SAnews.gov.za
