By Kaya 959 News
The Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) believe that the ‘officer’ caught on camera assaulting a motorist at the weekend, may have cloned the licence plates of one of their vehicles.
A video went viral a few days ago, showing the ‘officer’ slapping a motorist who had been pulled over in an apparent traffic stop.
In the video, the bogus traffic officer is seen speaking to the driver and the two get into a verbal altercation.
The man is then seen walking away from the driver, who is still seated inside the vehicle.
He picks up a pair of sunglasses and throws it back into the vehicle before striking the driver on the face. Seconds later, the ‘officer’ points his firearm at the driver and the passenger is heard urging the driver to drive away.
The video led to outrage on social media platforms, demanding the Gauteng Traffic Police take action against the ‘officer’.
READ: Traffic cops who switch off cameras will be disciplined
GTP vehicle was in repairs
Preliminary investigations by the GTP revealed that the man was not one of theirs.
After viewing footage of the vehicle used by the ‘officer’, the GTP confirmed that their vehicle with the same number plate was currently in the government garage, undergoing repairs.
GTP spokesperson, Sello Maremane, said the man may have cloned one of their plates. He said the Toyota Corolla looked like one of theirs.
“When we checked, we found our vehicle was still in the garage,” he said.
Maremane said the uniform worn by the fake policeman did not exist. He added that the man may have designed it to look like a GTP uniform but it was not the same as ones worn by staff.
Maremane explained the GTP would never have one of their officers stopping motorists in the North West.
“That is not our jurisdiction,” he said.
He added that motorists have the right to ask for an appointment card if they were being stopped, in order to verify that they were being stopped by an official of the department.
