Deputy President Paul Mashatile has thrown his weight behind an investigation into the violent conduct of heavily armed VIP Unit members who were filmed assaulting civilians in Johannesburg.
While the police officers were attached to Mashatile’s security detail, he was not in the convoy when officers assaulted a motorist and two passengers on the N1 highway in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, over the weekend.
The incident was caught on camera by a motorist and has gone viral on social media. It shows heavily armed SAPS officers assaulting civilians, one of whom is seen lying on the ground.
Four of the officers had been served notice of the intention to suspend them, said the SAPS.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has promised a thorough investigation of the incident.
“Members of the SAPS are meant to uphold and protect the fundamental rights of every person, and to exercise the powers conferred upon them in a responsible and controlled manner,” said Masemola.
Mashatile’s spokesperson, Vukani Mde, said the deputy president abhorred any unnecessary use of force, particularly against unarmed civilians.
Mashatile said they did not condone the behaviour of people beating anyone up.
“We condemn that, and we support the commissioner of police to investigate and make sure that whoever is responsible is brought to book.”
Police watchdog the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed it was also investigating the assault.
“Ipid investigators have already been in contact with the family members of the victims so that they could be assisted in laying charges,” said Ipid national spokesperson Robbie Raburabu.
Senior training co-ordinator on terrorism and explosives, Willem Els, said that since 2009 there had been at least 10 incidents in which people had died, been assaulted, had accidents, or been pushed off the road by VIP Unit members.
“There is a serious management challenge that we have within the VIP Unit, especially with the specialised training that is selected and the rigorous training they undergo.
“They are trained on how to deal with the public and how to deal with tight situations where the principals are in danger, and how to get them out. But none of that includes the use of power and excessive force against the public, as transpired in this situation. What we can also gather from this video is that the principal was not there. These people were travelling without actively protecting the principal, and in doing so they exceeded their powers by assaulting the driver, whom we assume did not move out of the way,” said Els.
Gareth Newham, the head of Justice and Violence Prevention at the Institute for Security Studies, said: “The SAPS VIP Unit is notorious for this bullying, aggressive and sometimes criminal behaviour. Too many of them act as if they are law unto themselves.”
Newham said this was a part of a much larger problem of police misconduct.
“So, for example, for the past five years up until 2022, R2.3 billion was paid out to victims of unlawful police conduct.
“This is 52% higher than the previous five years. This a financial burden for the SAPS who could be using this money for better resources,” he said.
Cape Times