Durban Metro Police job-selling scam being probed

The eThekwini Municipality says its pursuing criminal charges against an official over allegedly selling posts in the Durban Metro Police Service for tens of thousands of rands.

City Manager Musa Mbhele and Durban Metro Police Commissioner Sibonelo Mchunu addressed the media on allegations of jobs-selling and irregularities in the recruitment process.

The officials admitted that a yet-to-be-released forensic report found that an official received close to R1 million in payments for Metro Police applicants to secure jobs.

A forensic investigation has found that an official received over R420 000 for jobs in the Durban Metro Police, says eThekwini Metro. The probe came after 70 complaints were lodged. Durban Metro Police Commissioner Sibonelo Mchunu says a criminal case has been opened. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/uNm2sEqUPR

— Zanele Buthelezi (@Zanele_Shenge) September 2, 2026

They denied reports that the amount allegedly extorted from applicants was up to R20 million.

The municipality opened its 2026 recruitment process for the Durban Metro Police in February this year.

However, a forensic investigation was commissioned after 71 unsuccessful applicants alleged that they paid tens of thousands of rands to secure jobs.

The accounting firm, Isiqu handed over its report at the end of June.

But a leaked report last month sparked outrage online, with allegations of an attempt to protect certain senior officials.

Addressing the media, City officials vehemently denied that the job-for-sale scheme is widespread or that senior officials were fingered.

They said the report found that a total of R420 000 was paid to an official to secure jobs.

Durban Metro Police Commissioner Sibonelo Mchunu says a criminal case has been opened with the South African Police Services (SAPS).

“We got complaints and affidavits from 71 complainants, which said we paid money in order to get jobs. We paid so and so, so and so. That statement together with the bank records revealed that this money was paid to one of the people we are prosecuting. This junior person, apparently, he was not even part of the recruitment process. He was just a worker working at Albert Park, he was just monitoring the process and scamming people.”

Durban Metro Police commenced its 2026 recruitment drive in February with successful candidates to commence work in May after three months of training.

More than 62 000 hopefuls submitted applications.

But officials say an investigation found a list of payments, including amounts of R3 000, R60 000 and R280 000 were found in an account, linking the implicated official to the jobs-for-sale scheme.”

It’s not the first time that the recruitment process to be tainted by reports of irregularities.

Mchunu admits that allegations emerge in almost all recruitment campaigns.

“But for selling jobs there have been dismissals that have been affected in the department. HR officers were found and dismissed. There’s never been issues of an internal person having received bribees, a police man. But we have received evidence which talks to officers who are not even in the recruitment process liaising with external people to do something like that. But the proof is always difficult.”

City Manager Musa Mbhele insisted the city is taking action against those implicated in wrongdoing.

“As soon as something looks like fraud, smells like fraud we feel like it is possibly fraud. That is why we activate all the law enforcement agencies. So, we really want to sound a warning to our people. We have issued on a number of occasions to say jobs, municipal jobs are not for sale and people should not be selling those jobs. We warn members of the public that there’s a prevalence of scammers who dupe innocent members of the public into paying money on the promise that they will be getting them employment in the city.”

ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have called on the eThekwini Metro to release the full forensic report and clear steps being taken to address the issues raised.

DA’s mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen says the report highlights the level of corruption in the city.

“Durban is in a mess and our city leadership is leading the city into a mess. The high levels of corruption in the city needs to come to an end. The fact that jobs are being sold in the Durban Metro Police, and that has been covered up today because the city leadership refuses to make the report public. We will be demanding for that report to be made public. The people have a right to know in the city.”

The city did not reveal when the report will be made public but officials promised prosecutions against the individuals implicated in wrongdoing. – Reporting by Zanele Buthelezi