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VIP protection vehicle blue lights.
The case against eight former members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP Protection unit is expected to continue in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg today.
The officers were arrested after allegedly being caught on video assaulting civilians on the side of the N1 highway in Johannesburg in July 2023.
The accused are out on R10 000 bail each and have since returned to work.
They face several charges including assault, malicious damage to property and the pointing of a firearm.
The victims, confirmed to be military trainees, were driving from Potchefstroom to a military base in Pretoria when they were allegedly assaulted.
The first witness, who was the driver, testified last year about how he was beaten up, lost consciousness and left on the side of the road.
The second also described how he was dragged out of the vehicle and assaulted.
The lawyer for the accused claimed the officers had to use “minimum force” to ensure compliance, adding that the occupants of the car were drunk and driving recklessly.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police says it is concerned about the delay in consequence management at the South African Police Service, including Mashatile’s VIP Protection.
