Cape Town – The African National Congress (ANC) has defended Deputy President Paul Mashatile, saying that he should not be held responsible for the actions of his protectors.
One of Mashatile’s bodyguards revealed in court on Monday that the deputy president was present in the convoy when two motorists were assaulted on the N1 highway in July.
Mashatile ‘was in convoy’ during N1 assault, says Mbalulahttps://t.co/omnO5PafJR pic.twitter.com/CxyqePHsot
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) July 25, 2023
Eight VIP protection officers were accused of the assault and were arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said on Tuesday that while Mashatile was in the convoy during the incident, he couldn’t have known the details of what happened during the assault.
“He was in the convoy. So where does step aside come in there? There is no step aside there. What we said, as the ANC, is that this matter must be investigated by Ipid. It’s been investigated. That has been undertaken,” EWN quoted Mbalula as saying.
According to The Citizen, Mbalusa said a convoy of the president was once attacked in Cape Town by a man who was later taken head-on.
“It became a big issue politically in this country, but because we have checks and balances. Nobody can abuse the state one way or the other.
“An investigation was taken because we have got Ipid to do that work.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
