Members of Mashatile’s protection unit beat me and left me unconscious on N1, says witness

The case involving eight officers attached to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit was back in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, with the defence cross-examining the State’s first witness — who was allegedly assaulted by the eight officers on the N1 highway in Johannesburg in July 2023.

During a previous hearing, the authenticity of a 57-second video which depicts the protection unit members punching and kicking the occupants of a car they had stopped on the highway took centre stage.

At that hearing, the witness, who the court ruled cannot be named, broke down twice while watching the video, identifying himself as the driver of the Polo Vivo that was stopped and the individual struck unconscious by a gun wielded by one of the accused.

On Monday, the court heard that the video had been provisionally accepted as an admissible piece of evidence. It also heard that lawyers of the eight accused had a cut-out from the video depicting one of the occupants of the Polo Vivo who claimed to have been assaulted throwing away alcohol bottles that were in the car boot.

Read more: ‘Blue light bullies’ case drags on while members of Mashatile’s VIP protection unit are back at work

The accused claim that the occupants of the Polo Vivo were drunk and posed a threat to the convoy of SA’s second-most important citizen. They say the occupants did not stop or slow down despite being signalled to do so at least twice. They allege that after being boxed in by vehicles in the convoy and forced to stop, the occupants of the Polo Vivo refused to open the car doors or step out when requested to do so.

Defence lawyer Mswazi Makhubele said members of the protection unit used “minimum force” to get the occupants to comply.

Makhubele said the witness, believed to be the driver of the Polo Vivo, did not have a driver’s licence, which could have been why he was reluctant to stop.

“We will subpoena the transport department to come to this court and testify that you do not have a licence,” Makhubele told the court.

‘Was that procedure?’

The witness said he had a Code 10 (C1) licence, which allowed him to drive heavy vehicles like buses and trucks. He said he lost it a month after the incident on the highway but had not replaced it because he had been uncomfortable driving since then.

He told the court that he did not stop until his car was boxed in because he thought he was being hijacked.

He said two members of the convoy pointed their rifles at his vehicle while he was driving. After he stopped, they smashed one of his car windows with a rifle, dragged him and the other occupants out of the car and assaulted them.

“If they thought I was a threat why didn’t they stop me properly and follow procedure and search me to satisfy themselves? So, for them, was procedure doing what they did — assaulting us, as shown on the video, leaving me unconscious and driving off?” asked the witness.

Read more: Mashatile’s convoy was threatened by driver, trial of VIP protection unit members told

The eight accused are Shadrack Molekatlane Kojana, Johannes Matome Mampuru, Posmo Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Madumetja Ramokhonami, Phineas Molefo Boshielo, Churchill Mpakamaseni Mkhize, Lesiba Aggrie Ramabu and Moses Fhatuwani.

They face charges including pointing a firearm, malicious damage to property, reckless and negligent driving, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempting to defeat the administration of justice and assault by way of threats.

The trial continues. DM