By: Natasha Archary
Facing Parliament’s Police Portfolio Committee on Wednesday, 16 August, Police Minister Bheki Cele was grilled about the shocking VIP Protection Unit assault which took place in his absence last month.
Cele, who finally broke his silence about the incident which sparked mass public outrage, says he was abroad at the time, but affirmed that National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and Deputy President Paul Mashatile, said everything that was needed.
In July, 8 members of Mashatile’s security detail were filmed by a passerby on the N1 in Fourways, assaulting the occupants of a VW Polo.
There has been much criticism over the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (IPID) handling of the matter, as the VIP Protection Unit members were only arrested earlier this month, after being suspended.
Cele fielded questions from concerned MPS who questioned how many similar incidents of police brutality take place without being brought to the public’s attention.
Members of Parliament put forward that police should wear bodycams as a means of monitoring how they see out their duties, to which Cele said was a plan in progress.
The Police minister explained why at first Mashatile’s office said he wasn’t in the convoy when the assault took place, but then later confirmed that he was part of the convoy.
“Now, the Deputy President was in the convoy, but was not on the crime scene, where, I think, two of his cars, they pulled off to deal with the matter.
Talking to him, he realised, at home that there were two cars that peeled off. He didn’t know, he was told later, that the incident happened.
So, 5 cars were with the DP to take him to his home. Usually, the convoy has 7 cars, 6 from the police and one from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which is a medical car.”
IPID says the 8 members of the VIP Protection Unit; Shadrack Molekatlane Kojoana, together with his team members, Johannes Matome Mampuru, Pomso Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Madumetja Ramokhonami, Phineas Molefo Boshielo, Churchill Mpakamaseni Mkhize, Lesibana Aggrie Rambau and Moses Fhatuwani Tshidada, are not receiving special treatment.
The Independent Police Directorate says they needed to ensure that all the evidence was gathered before appearing before court, and this is why the matter took so long to finalise.
All 8 men face 12 charges including:
- pointing a firearm
- reckless and negligent driving
- malicious damage to property
- assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm
- obstruction of justice
- assault by way of threat
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