Bodyguards to appear in court today for N1 assault

Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s eight bodyguards will appear in Randburg Magistrate’s Court today (July 24) to face charges regarding the assault on the N1 highway towards Fourways, which was caught on video and went viral earlier in the month.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Robbie Raburabu confirmed to Caxton Local Media that this is their first appearance and they will face charges of assault, malicious damage to property and the pointing of a firearm.

In the video, a group of police officials can be seen coming out of two black BMW X5s and thereafter dragging a man, assumed to be the driver, out of his blue VW Polo before they started beating him until he lost consciousness.

Also read: Assaulted SAPS victims successfully traced

Earlier in the month, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola said the deputy president asked the public to provide the police with space to conduct its investigation.

“The deputy president has full confidence in the police under the leadership of Minister Bheki Cele and the command of General Masemola to do the right thing in this regard,” Masemola said.

“Members of the SAPS are meant to uphold and protect the fundamental rights of every person and exercise the powers conferred upon them in a responsible and controlled manner.”

Local ward councillors also spoke out against the incident.

Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe said, “I believe that the Blue Light VIP Services need to remember that they have no more rights than the average citizen. If a regular citizen of South Africa behaved in the same way that these thugs behaved, then we as citizens would be behind bars fighting for bail.”

Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe said, “I think they should be arrested and the vice-president should be held accountable as he is ultimately responsible for his staff. His apology means nothing; he drives out of his estate in Waterfall where he lives every week and his blue light brigade drives down Waterfall Drive and right into Allandale on the wrong side of the road, into oncoming traffic onto the highway.”

Ward 94 councillor Vino Reddy said, “There have been numerous complaints by residents about the gratuitous use of force [allegedly by the VIP protection unit] to push residents off the road resulting in near accidents.”

Related article:

Fourways councillors react to assault by VIP protection services