Mashatile with VIP ‘bullies’?
|Published
Questions around Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s involvement in the infamous blue light assault of three mense on the N1 highway have arisen again, after one of the eight SAPS VIP presidential protection officers told a court that the principal had been part of the convoy when the incident happened.
The DA said it would submit a formal Promotion of Access to Information Application (PAIA) to get answers around the incident, while ActionSA said it would be writing to Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola to investigate Mashatile for allegedly lying, after his office said he was not present when the altercation took place.
The VIP officer Shadrack Molekatlane Kojana took the stand in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, saying that Mashatile was present in the Waterfall Equestrian Estate bound convoy when a blue VW Polo allegedly tried to force them off the road.
DA MP and spokesperson on policing, Andrew Whitfield, said they had always suspected that Mashatile was involved because of the behaviour of the VIP officers.
Whitfield, speaking to SABC News, said Mashatile had to be held accountable.
“He holds the second highest office in the land and may become president one day, but he allows police officers to break the law under his watch, it is completely unacceptable,” he said.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba believed the officers had been influenced by Mashatile’s “mafia style leadership” in their heavy-handedly response against the three victims.
“Mashatile already faces a number of serious unethical conduct including living a life of luxury in expensive homes – owned by business people who are alleged to have benefited from state contracts – and the deputy president lying about his involvement in the assault further proves that he cannot be trusted,” said Mashaba.
The eight officers, who are in police custody, are due to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court today for a bail application following their arrest on Sunday.