Cape Town – Deputy President Paul Mashatile, reportedly claimed he was not aware that two cars from his motorcade were missing during an incident where eight heavily armed VIP police officers assaulted two men on the N1 highway.
The assault, captured on video and shared on social media, led to public outrage.
Police Minister Bheki Cele informed a parliamentary committee that Mashatile only realised the missing cars after reaching home and did not know about the incident, News24 reported.
This was after some Members of Parliament questioned whether Mashatile was left unattended during the incident and criticized the police’s conduct.
Cele said that the usual convoy for the deputy president consists of seven cars, with six being from the police and one from the South African National Defence Force, serving as a “medical type of vehicle,” as per Cele’s description.
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Regarding the incident, Cele said: “The DP [Mashatile] was part of the convoy but not at the location of the incident. I believe that two of his cars broke away from the convoy to address the matter.” He went on to say, “Upon speaking to him, he became aware at his residence that two cars had separated. This realization occurred at home. He wasn’t informed until later, or so it seems, that the incident had taken place.”
This implies that five cars continued with Mashatile to his destination.
Cele added: “This situation can be clarified through proper analysis or presented in a court setting – explaining the significance of the separation and the reasons behind it while the rest of the convoy continued forward.”
The minister also said that the incident has put SAPS in a bad light, adding that he had not previously commented on the matter due to being in the DRC at the time of the incident, SABC reported.
He said that much had already been said on the matter by the deputy president, the acting police minister, and the national police commissioner.
“There was nothing new that one would have come up with other than fill the gaps, as one has filled the gaps in calling for the police to be cooperative on the matter and doing what they are supposed to do,” CapeTalk quoted the minister as saying.
The officers involved are facing multiple charges including assault, reckless driving, and obstruction of justice.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
