Former South African police constable faces fraud and theft charges

Bafo Siyabonga Cindi, a 35-year-old former South African Police Service (SAPS) constable, is facing additional charges of fraud and theft. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, arrested Cindi for allegedly using a police fleet card for personal transactions totaling approximately R8,000 while he served as an investigating officer.

The investigation into the misuse of the FNB fleet card began in 2024 after being reported by the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Standerton, Mpumalanga. Cindi, who was dismissed from the SAPS in May 2026, was arrested at the Ermelo Correctional Centre, where he was already being held on separate stock theft charges.

Cindi appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on October 22, 2026. The proceedings have been postponed to November 5 to allow him to obtain legal representation.