Police Minister Bheki Cele has vowed to take harsh action against any police officer found to be corrupt.
He has urged communities around the country to report such officers without fear of repercussions.
Cele made the comments as he visited residents of Thabong at Welkom in the Free State.
Residents confronted the Minister about rampant crime in the area and accused police of colluding with criminals.
Cele also officially opened a satellite police station in Wesselsbron, an area known to be a playground for gang violence.
He says: “There are bad police officers and those officers must be dealt with decisively. They must know that being an officer is not a job in South Africa, it’s a call to serve.”
