Whistleblower alleges Metro Police ‘cabal’ controls jobs and promotions in eThekwini
EThekwini metro police department is a criminal enterprise controlled by a strong cabal who recruit relatives and politically connected cronies into the fold, a whistleblower has alleged.
The whistleblower revealed the allegations to the Mail & Guardian in the aftermath of the arrest of one Zwile Ximba, a metro cop who was charged with corruption. Ximba is alleged to have solicited bribes ranging from R40 000 to R60 000, promising his alleged victims jobs at the eThekwini metro police. On Monday this week, four other metro cops were also arrested and charged with extortion.
According to the source who is also a high-ranking official at the metro, the arrest of Ximba and four others is only the tip of an iceberg.
“I and other concerned individuals have raised these issues internally for years appealing for a transparent recruitment process of those who want to join the metro police department. Our pleas fell on deaf ears. It is almost an unwritten rule that for one to be employed, they must pay a bribe or be connected politically. The corruption at the top echelons of power corruption is rife,” the whistleblower told M&G.
The whistleblower further claimed there was a powerful cabal who called the shots at the metro police unit.
“What we have been observing over the years is that the senior management would often instruct the junior cops to collect bribes on their behalf promising them promotions. Our view is that there must be a total overhaul of the entire department. The department is treated as an employment agency for politicians, friends and relatives of senior management. A lifestyle audit should also be conducted because the majority of metro cops are living beyond their means,” the whistleblower further stated.
Ximba, a constable at the metro police is believed to be part of a syndicate selling jobs within the department. The cop was allegedly caught after he had arranged with a wife of a known businessman in Durban to collect cash at her home for securing a job for one of her relatives. When he arrived at the place, he was ambushed by unknown individuals. Suspecting that it could have been a trap, Ximba fled. He was later arrested by police while hiding at the metro police headquarters near Durban station.
Another whistleblower also alleged that before assuming duties as a metro cop Ximba was an SAPS police officer where he resigned under a cloud while facing allegations of corruption.
“The said individual was previously employed at the SAPS and the contract was terminated as a result of corruption related misconduct. This raises a serious concern regarding the recruitment and vetting procedures followed by eThekwini Metro Police. In particular, it would be important to establish whether proper background checks and employment verifications were conducted prior to the appointment. Whether his previous employment history with SAPS, including any disciplinary or misconduct records, was considered during the recruitment process,” the source said.
The metro police department also confirmed the arrest of Ximba and the four other metro cops.
“The Durban Metropolitan Police Service (DMPS) confirms the arrest of four authorised officers who are alleged to have extorted a businessman in the KwaSanti area. Following an investigation into the allegations, the officers were arrested and charged with extortion. The accused appeared before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 19 June 2026, where they were granted bail,” said metro police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu.
Zungu explained that the arrested metro cops have been suspended pending the outcome of the criminal investigation and internal disciplinary processes.
The alleged fraught nature of the metro police recruitment process was also the subject of the parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) recently when the eThekwini municipal leadership appeared before the committee in May. It emerged before SCOPA that the eThekwini metro police had been compromised such that positions were allocated through patronage networks.
