We are back, good people.

You know it’s been a decent holiday when you’re logged out of all your work accounts.

Anyway, I hope your break was golden and you’ve returned to work refreshed, healthy, and raring to go.

Also, I hope you intend to take your job more seriously than this police officer.

Sadly, videos like this do the rounds all too often (you may recall this from late last year), but this is particularly jarring given that there is currently a ban on the sale of alcohol in South Africa.

Whereas the tweet below says it’s due to confiscated Savanna, others say it relates to homebrewed whiskey, or other liquor types, so don’t read too much into that.

What we know for sure is that this police officer is in a very bad state:

Policeman drunk from confiscated Savanna!! #AlcoholBan pic.twitter.com/6ZXhGvysZw

— Phumz (@maphum8711) January 9, 2021

This footage has also been widely circulated:

This is a disgrace! @SAPoliceService Video as received. pic.twitter.com/3JoyKQlsCg

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) January 9, 2021

The officer also fails to wear a mask, which is also a contravention of the current alert level rules.

I am not sure he can point to the ‘vigorous exercise’ excuse, either.

The Citizen reports that “a criminal case has been opened against the cop and he has been charged with being drunk in public in police uniform”, who is stationed at Randfontein and was off-duty at the time (Friday, January 8):

Gauteng police spokesperson, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said internal processes were underway “in accordance with the SAPS discipline regulations” with regards to the officer’s “improper conduct”.

“The regrettable incident happened near Toekomsrus satellite police station and police were alerted by members of the public,” Peters said.

Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela also went on the record to condemn the officer’s “disgraceful and unacceptable” behaviour.

Mawela added that the officer has been released on a J534, admission of guilt, fine, as investigations continue.

In unrelated, but slightly more amusing, news, here’s a video from yesterday showing a cop van on Sunset Beach in a bit of a pickle.

Police van stuck on Sunset beach and the tide is coming in… you hate to see it… pic.twitter.com/rJhIR0uRO0

— Sevexity (@sevexity) January 10, 2021

According to a follow-up tweet, they did get the vehicle out before the tide wrecked it, and even made two arrests.

[source:citizen]