Image for illustration purposes only
An off-duty South African Police Service (SAPS) officer has been arrested after allegedly shoplifting at a supermarket in the Barberton policing area.
The 59-year-old officer was taken into custody on Saturday evening, 31 January 2026, at around 18:30. According to reports, store security was alerted by the control room after a male customer allegedly added extra bananas into a plastic bag after the item had already been weighed and priced at the till.
Security staff approached the customer and re-weighed the bananas. The new weight was higher than what was reflected on the original price label, with the difference valued at R43.80. The suspect was detained and the incident reported to police.
SAPS confirmed that a case of shoplifting was opened and that an internal investigation will also be conducted. Police management stressed that the officer will be treated like any other suspect, and that misconduct of this nature will not be tolerated.
The suspect was expected to appear in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 2 February 2026. However, court feedback confirmed that the case was not enrolled.
Information supplied by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga.