Zuko Komisa
- 22-year-old Lesudi Thaluki was arrested by the Hawks after allegedly attempting to bribe a Tshwane official for a job she was previously denied.
- A tactical operation at a local shopping centre saw the suspect apprehended while handing over R3,000 as a down payment on a promised R10,000 bribe.
- Released on warning, Thaluki now awaits a February court date, her career aspirations replaced by a looming corruption charge.
For most 22-year-olds, the start of a new year is a season of hope. For Lesudi Tshegofatso Thaluki, it seems it was a season of desperation. Facing the crushing weight of a “rejected” status in the City of Tshwane’s latest recruitment drive, Thaluki allegedly decided to take a gamble that would cost her far more than the price of an application.
In an act that highlights the lengths some will go to escape the cycle of unemployment, Thaluki reportedly reached out to a TMPD Commissioner via email on 9 January.
Her plea was simple, a promise of R10,000 in exchange for a seat at the table she had been denied.
The Commissioner, however, chose duty over the bribe. Working alongside the Pretoria Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit, a sting was orchestrated to meet the young woman’s offer.
On Thursday, 22 January, by the Wonderboom Junction Shopping Centre, Thaluki allegedly handed over an initial R3,000 perhaps every cent she could scrape together to the very official she hoped would be her benefactor. Instead of a job offer, she was met with handcuffs.
Thaluki appeared before the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court shortly after her arrest.
While she has been released on a warning, the shadow of a corruption charge now looms over her future the very thing she was so desperate to secure.
The case has been postponed to 20 February 2026, leaving a young woman to contemplate a hard truth: in the search for a career, the shortest route is often the most dangerous.
READ NEXT: 142 drunk drivers arrested in one week as Gauteng road fatalities increase
The post A desperate gamble: The 22-year-old who attempted to bribe a Tshwane official for a job appeared first on KAYA 959.