The chairperson of parliament’s portfolio committee on police, Ian Cameron, has condemned ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit members for manhandling a Khayelitsha man in his own home.
Cameron said he “strongly condemned the mishandling and maltreatment of a Khayelitsha man in his own home by the SA Police Service (SAPS) VIP protection unit members”.
He said while acknowledging that ensuring the security of Mashatile is paramount, it should be done within reason and the confines of the law.
“The incident is worrying in the context that eight officers of the same unit have been on suspension for over a year for assaulting members of the public on the N1 highway in Gauteng.
“It is untoward that the VIP protection unit members acted irrationally and outside the limit of their power,” said Cameron.
“Also, the incident puts into question the security protocols around a VIP and whether those protocols are followed.”
Status of the disciplinary action
He said while the incident highlights the need for effective and enhanced training for VIP SAPS officers, especially as it relates to the abuse of power, it also highlights the irrationality of the SAPS’s continued focus on budget allocation for VIP protection.
“It is undeniable that the SAPS spends an inordinate amount of money protecting a few politicians despite the rampant crime in areas like Khayelitsha, Nyanga, and Langa.
“Ordinary citizens are then prevented access to their elected representatives by these security officials. This then puts into question who the public representatives are really representing,” said Cameron.
He went on to say that the committee will arrange a meeting to discuss the status of the disciplinary actions taken against the eight SAPS VIP officers who attacked a civilian on the N1 highway.
On Tuesday, Mashatile apologised for the behaviour of his bodyguards after they pushed and “manhandled” a Khayelitsha resident in his own home.
Mashatile was conducting door-to-door activities in Khayelitsha ahead of the ANC’s January 8 Statement festivities on Saturday.
The ANC will celebrate its 113th birthday anniversary at Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha.
Mashatile was accompanied by Basic Education Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule, ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi, and several ANC Western Cape provincial and regional leaders.
Soup kitchen
During the door-to-door activities, he stopped at the house of a woman who runs a soup kitchen in the community.
According to videos circulating on social media platforms, while Mashatile was seated on a couch in a lounge inside the woman’s house, a man, who later turned out to be the son of the homeowner, entered the house carrying a child.
He went to the lounge and shouted that “the politicians must leave his house”.
Mashatile’s VIP protection unit security members grabbed the man and pushed him out of the house.
During the scuffle, the man continued shouting that the politicians must leave his house and that he cannot be “manhandled” and taken out of his own house.
Mashatile apologised to the woman and her son for the scuffle that broke out during his visit.
“They are running a soup kitchen, feeding neighbouring communities that do not have much,” Mashatile said.
“The [deputy] minister [Mhaule] will come back to see how we can assist them. There was a bit of a scuffle with one of the sons of the house. The security did not know he stayed there.
“They blocked him. He was very unhappy. We apologised. I am sure he understood. We are dealing with a lot of crowds. We try to control them.”
Mashatile said they did not want many people to get in the house.
Eight former members of Mashatile’s VIP presidential protection unit are currently on trial at the Randburg magistrate’s court after they were caught on video physically assaulting civilians on the N1 highway in July 2023.
The accused face 11 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 suspects are currently out on R10 000 bail each. They have all pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The trial resumes on February 3.
