Watch: Drunk SAPS officer stumbles from car after crashing into fence

A pissed-up police officer has gone viral for all the wrong reasons this weekend, as a video of his ‘unbecoming conduct’ spread like wildfire Sunday. The North West based SAPS Constable is facing several criminal charges after he was caught on camera in a drunken stupor – all while behind the wheel of a state vehicle.

North West cop ‘crashes into fence’

In the video, a drunk Constable in full uniform is seen struggling to stand steady on his feet to inspect the state motor vehicle and check what appears to be a scratch. The damage was apparently caused by the collision of the state vehicle with a fence. His incoherent speech and general lack of awareness compounded the shock amongst gathered locals.

The Constable was released on R500 bail and is expected to appear in the Wolmaransstad Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 30 November 2020, facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and/or negligent driving, and use of a motor vehicle without owner’s consent. We doubt the officer in question has had many hangovers worse than this one…

Watch: Drunk SAPS officer stumbles from vehicle in North West

Drunk members of @SAPoliceService are a major contributor to criminality, especially stolen firearms.@LirandzuThemba pic.twitter.com/AXVnbvuOha

— Mzwanele Manyi (@MzwaneleManyi) November 30, 2020

SAPS response to Wolmaransstad viral video

A departmental investigation will also be instituted against the member in terms of the police force’s Discipline Regulations. A statement released by the North West SAPS on Monday morning tackles the embarrassing footage head-on, revealing that authorities have instituted a swift course of action in Wolmaransstad:

“The police management is appalled by the unprofessional conduct of a constable stationed at Wolmaransstad in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District. The damage was apparently caused by a collision of the state vehicle with a fence at Extension 10, Tswelelang location in Wolmaransstad. The constable was the driver at the time of the incident.

“On top of a case of driving under the influence, preliminary investigation revealed the constable is not authorised to drive state motor vehicles. As a result, he will also face a charge of use of a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. A departmental investigation will be instituted against the member in terms of police discipline regulations.”

North West SAPS statement