FIVE LIMPOPO AIRPORT POLICE OFFICERS GRANTED R1,000 BAIL IN IMMIGRATION CASE
POLOKWANE – Five police officers stationed at the Port of Entry at Polokwane International Airport have been granted bail of R1,000 each after appearing before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on charges of defeating the ends of justice and contravening the Immigration Act.
The accused are Makwela Emanuel Manamela (49), Joyce Matlala (48), Johannes Thole (44), Congress Kwena Mothiba (44), and Benjamin Chokoe (51).
The case stems from an incident in April 2025, when a minibus transporting undocumented Zimbabwean nationals was allegedly stopped by a traffic officer, who subsequently alerted the police.
The foreign nationals were expected to be detained at the Polokwane Police Station. However, it was later discovered that they had allegedly neither been arrested nor deported to their country of origin.
The five officers are facing Schedule 1 offences linked to the alleged incident.
The State did not oppose their release on bail, and the court granted each accused bail of R1,000.
The matter was postponed to 30 November 2026 for further investigation.
The accused remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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