Metro clears the air on VIP protection services incident

Tshwane has issued a statement regarding the high-speed chase involving a metro police (TMPD) officer and a motorist on Monday.

The metro said while the officer was issuing a fine for obstruction of traffic to a motorist, his car keys were stolen.

The officer is part of the VIP protection team assigned to city manager, Johan Mettler.

Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said around 13:30 on March 11, instructed a Mercedes-Benz driver he believed was obstructing traffic on Thabo Sehume Street in the CBD to move out of the way.

“The officer activated a siren and signalled to the female motorist to move to avoid obstructing traffic, but she allegedly refused to obey his instruction. He stepped out of the vehicle, approached her, and showed her his appointment certificate,” said Bokaba.

“He informed her that he was going to issue her with a traffic fine, and while he was busy writing down the fine, she allegedly grabbed his official vehicle keys from the ignition, [got into her car and] drove off leaving the officer stranded.”

The officer immediately called his supervisor and informed him of the incident, and the supervisor, together with freeway patrol, located the suspect through the vehicle’s tracking system and chased after her on the R21 South.

“During the high-speed chase, she allegedly kept ignoring the police’s instruction to bring her rental car to a halt but ultimately, did. Police politely asked her to hand the keys to the state vehicle over but she allegedly refused. Instead, she drove off again apparently in a rush to catch a flight. Police gave chase and eventually apprehended her at the OR Tambo International Airport,” said Bokaba.

The motorist was later taken to the Pretoria Central police station where a case of common robbery and theft was opened against her with CAS number 347/03/2024 and she was briefly detained.

The officer’s car keys were recovered from her.

When she was later released, she allegedly refused to sign a form to acknowledge receipt of property that had been removed from her when she was booked.

The woman was later determined to be a senior manager at a subsidiary of one of the water boards.

“The city manager was engaged in a meeting at the office when this incident happened, and the vehicle assigned to him wasn’t involved either as its keys had been snatched by the suspect. His protector stayed behind in Pretoria to guard the state vehicle while the suspect was being pursued by his colleagues,” said Bokaba.

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