This comes in the wake of a recent viral video purportedly showing SAPS VIP officers in Fourways, Gauteng, assaulting unarmed people. 

The DA’s Andrew Whitfield said although they welcome the suspension of the VIP officers and the criminal charges against them, more still needs to be done. “The DA has been at the forefront in the fight against police brutality since the lockdown of 2020, when hundreds of incidents of police abuse were reported to the DA,” he said.

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Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the four VIP officers, who are believed to be Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s bodyguards, would be given an opportunity to defend themselves before a final decision is made. “They should make representations as to why they should not be suspended under the circumstances. Their representations will be considered and the outcome will be communicated to them. As management, we do not condone such behaviour, regardless of the circumstances. No amount of provocation can lead to such behaviour and we are moving with speed to address this unacceptable behaviour.”

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Speaking at a briefing on the outcomes of the ANC’s national working committee meeting on Wednesday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the incident was an embarrassment to the entire police service. “The ANC was extremely upset by the news of the road rage incident involving members of the SAPS, who were appointed to protect the deputy president. This was not only cowardly, but contrary to what the SAPS stands for, namely to protect all members of society. We call on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to investigate this incident as a matter of urgency.”

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In the Free State, Edgar Mokotso and three other people allegedly assaulted by police officers are still waiting on the outcome of their case after yet another postponement. The case relates to an incident on 2 October 2017, when Mokotso and others were hitchhiking on the N1 outside Trompsburg, heading to Edenburg. Mokotso previously told OFM News they were accused by the police of robbing a local furniture store after they got a lift in a white panel van. He alleged that seven police officers assaulted them while they were in custody, before being released for wrongful arrest the same day.

The seven police officers – six men and one woman – are facing charges of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm. One of the postponements was due to some of the police officers failing to appear before the court, which resulted in them getting arrested. It was also reported that the victims received compensation in December 2020. While there were internal disciplinary proceedings against the police officers between 2018 and 2019, they were not disciplined. However, IPID found the police officers to be in the wrong. In October 2019, Viewfinder published an exposé on IPID, alleging that cases were being manipulated by investigators for the purpose of altering the directorate’s performance on cases.

OFM News