Parliament’s portfolio committee on Police says it is concerned about the delay of consequence management to the South African Police Service including the VIP Protection Unit of Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
This follows allegations that Mashatile’s VIP Protection Unit officers allegedly assaulted a motorist and two passengers on the N1 in Gauteng in 2023. A video went viral, depicting Mashatile’s VIP Protection Unit allegedly assaulting civilians.
The Police committee says delays in consequences management at SAPS erode the public trust in police.
Recently Police Minister Senzo Mchunu revealed that at least 40 police officers are on suspension with full pay for various crimes which include murder and sexual assault.
The Committee says it remains steadfast that rogue police must be removed.
“8 VIP officers that belong to the protection details of Deputy President Paul Mashatile on the N1 over a year ago is a huge concern for the committee because they are still in the service of the SAPS solutions remains to be seen,” says Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron.
Recently a scuffle broke out during Mashatile’s door-to-door visit to Mandela Park in Khayelitsha ahead of the ANC’s January 8th Statement.
Cameron says they will follow up on the matter if charges are laid against his security personnel.
In another development, the Justice Committee says former Justice Minister Thembi Simelane’s deployment to Human Settlement coincided with them processing a legal opinion on accessing her VBS loan agreement.
“We can handle the personal information of the minister, the only information that related to the accusation but only in the form of a closed session if it is necessary so as when we were trying to process that the minister was changed to human settlement,” says Chairperson of Justice Committee, Xola Nqola.
Nqola says their interaction with Simelane looked at issues of conflict of interest on her duties of accountability and oversight over the NPA.
