The man, aged 64, has been charged in cases dating back to 1998 after inadvertently robbing police officials while posing as police himself

South African police have arrested a 64-year-old man allegedly linked to 42 armed robberies after he inadvertently robbed senior police officials while posing as police himself, a South African state news agency reported on Monday.  

The arrest happened within hours of a robbery that took place near the Barbara off-ramp towards O.R. Tambo International Airport on Saturday afternoon, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported. The three police officials were travelling in an e-hailing service when four men in a silver Suzuki Swift stopped them, posed as police officers and stole money, watches, and then cellphones. 

Police tracked the vehicle used in the crime and detained the man, who SAPS said has now been charged with "armed robbery, the possession of an unlicensed firearm, fraud and impersonating a police officer" in cases that date as far back as 1998. 

Three other people believed to have been involved in the robbery are still being searched for.  

The arrest comes as South Africa intensifies efforts to tackle violent crime and organized criminal networks. Last month, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the government will increase peace and security spending to support law enforcement and defense efforts, boosting allocations for the military and police. Funding to support the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) is set to rise from R268.2 billion ($17billion) in 2025/26 to R291.2 billion ($18billion) in 2028/29, according to officials.

The budget increase follows an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the SANDF would be deployed to support police to assist in the fight against illegal mining and gang violence. Ramaphosa said organized crime is "now the most immediate threat to our democracy," and directed that troops work with the police in crime hotspots. 

Crime figures released by the South African Police Service show that violence remains a serious challenge in South Africa, although some key crimes showed a decline in 2024/25. Murder cases initially rose from 27,494 in 2022/23 to 27,621 in 2023/24, before dropping sharply to 24,692 in 2024/25, a decrease of 10.6% compared with the previous year.  

READ MORE: South Africa boosts military and judiciary spending

Overall, contact crimes, which include murder, assault, and robbery, reached 678,701 cases in 2023/24 before declining to 655,416 in 2024/25, reflecting a modest year-on-year reduction of 3.4%.