FREE STATE – A former South African Police Service (SAPS) employee was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for corruption and accepting benefits on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. The Lejweleputswa Regional Court, sitting in Welkom, handed down the sentence to Pitso Miya, who was employed under the Public Service Act as an administrative clerk at the Welkom Police Station.
Miya’s criminal conduct centered on misrepresenting himself as a Designated Liquor Officer (DLO). He promised an unsuspecting victim that he would facilitate the acquisition of a liquor licence in exchange for a gratification payment. When the licence failed to materialize, the victim reported the fraudulent incident to the police station.
Suspecting that additional individuals may have been targeted by Miya’s misrepresentation, Warrant Officer Vusimusi Ngomane collaborated with the Corporate Communication and Liaison Office to draft and distribute a public media statement. This statement warned the community and actively encouraged potential victims to come forward and report their cases at the station.
Following the public appeal, additional victims reported to the Welkom Police Station, resulting in the opening of eight dockets. Investigations revealed that Miya had defrauded several individuals between January 2024 and August 2024. He accepted further gratification payments under the false pretense of securing victims employment within the SAPS, either as police constables or clerks. Miya subsequently resigned from his position when he realized the investigation was closing in on him.
A meticulous investigation led by Warrant Officer Vusimusi Ngomane and Warrant Officer Jacobus Palm was successfully completed, and all eight dockets were formally presented in court.
The Regional Court found Miya guilty of corruption. He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, with eight years of the sentence suspended on the strict condition that the accused is not convicted of any corruption-related offenses during the period of suspension.
