The eight police VIP protection unit officers assigned to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit , who are accused of assault, showed their faces when they appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court yesterday.
At previous appearances, the officers were allowed to be masked as the identity parade had not yet been held.
Shadrack Kojoana, Johannes Mampuru, Pomso Mofokeng, Harmans Ramokhonami, Phineas Boshielo, Churchill Mkhize, Lesibana Rambau and Moses Tshidada face 12 counts, including assault, malicious damage to property, discharging a firearm, contravening the Road Traffic Act, reckless and negligent driving, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The officers have returned to work after a suspension but have been deployed to a different unit.
The matter has been postponed to 6 May 2024 for trial, although the National Prosecutor Authority (NPA) says it is ready to prosecute.
‘We are ready to proceed to the next stage of the case, which is the trial. We have enough evidence to sustain the allegations against the accused’, NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
The eight men were caught on camera in July 2023 beating and kicking a motorist and two passengers on the N1 in Johannesburg. The two passengers are apparently linked to the South African National Defence Force.
The person who captured the incident on camera apparently received death threats, which motivated the NPA to oppose bail. However, the officers were granted R10,000 bail each on 1 August 2023.
[Photo: Twitter Screenshot]