A father and son apparently employed by Johannesburg City Power were arrested after they allegedly swindled a resident out of R40 000. 

Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said the men approached a resident and offered to write off a R500 000 debt he owed to the City of Johannesburg. 

In return, the man allegedly had to pay R150 000, R40 000 of which had to be paid upfront. 

Mashaba said he allegedly had to pay the balance of R110 000 before the end of the week. 

The resident instructed the men to collect the money at his place of work, but instead informed the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Services team which set up a sting operation together with members of the Hawks.
 
When they were about to leave, the Hawks pounced on the men and they were arrested. 
 
The two are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday. 

“Corruption has no place in this administration. We are working tirelessly, in collaboration with institutions such as the Hawks, to ensure that corruption becomes a thing of the past,” Mashaba said.