Corruption within the Traffic Police Environment: Challenges and Possible Solutions

Modipa Mmakwena1, Masuku Sandile Clement2 & Rakubu Kholofelo3

Abstract
Corruption is the abuse of public resources for personal gain at the expense
of the people. The inability of the traffic police environment to root out corruption
contributes to lawlessness on the road, and it disadvantages all the efforts of the
government in achieving their 2030 goal of ensuring a safe and secure environment
for the people of South Africa. This article focuses on corruption within the traffic
law enforcement environment in South Africa. The article is based on a qualitatively
rooted methodology including a wide range of secondary sources such as documents
from the South African Police Service, Traffic Police agencies, academic books,
articles, dissertations, thesis, and reports from non-governmental organizations
focusing on corruption in South Africa. The article further draws on the findings
from the world on corruption and formulates steps to counteract it. The researchbased key steps leading to the prevention of corruption within the traffic law
enforcement environment in South Africa. The first step is related to providing anticorruption strategies within the law enforcement agencies, professionalising law
enforcement agencies, increasing pay to deter petty forms of corruption and
advancing technology in curbing corruption.

Keywords: Corruption, SAPS, Traffic Police, Law enforcement, and South Africa